The Boys Named
by StormyTitan7
Summary: *Under Reconstruction Nov 25 2013* Uno, later named Ormi. Sano, later know as Logos. Go through the story of their childhood, right up until they meet each other and more. Enjoy and Review! Rated T for some violence and adult lang. S.T.- MASSIVE EDITING DONE! 2/18/2013. A lot better now with little extra tid-bits added. Again, enjoy and review.
1. Happiness Ends

**By StormyTitan**

**HI! To put it simply, I got this so-called idea while noticing there isn't a lot of Leblanc Syndicate fics (particularly playing with detailed stories of the past-type nature) as I would like there to be, and, finding it a damn shame, have now written a dramatic story of my own! And since I love the boys oh so very much, here they are.**

***EDIT- NEW AND IMPROVED! I've edited the whole story to hopefully create uniform writing between all the parts.**

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><p>"It was stormin', nature ragin' all around!- All over Spira it seemed! That rain came outta no where when <em>she<em> ran outta the house all ah sudden and 'fore anyone could stop her. Took her baby with her too, planning on leavin' with it no doubt, and ran all the way to the freakin' mountain. And up there the weather was harsher, snow blowin' and wind howlin'. Somehow, she went and managed to get farther than anyone would think an unprepared woman carryin' a child could go. But all the same, for all that trouble, she went and 'bout jumped. I suppose she stopped because she had some second thoughts on the babe. She took one look at 'im, I bet, and says to herself "Is this right? Takin' this baby with me?" Maybe she even had second thoughts about taking her own life. But in the end she jumped, and left the baby to die in the cold. That's when your grandmuh come runnin' up the mount, in nothing but her p.j.'s , and like a crazy, screamed and cursed through the snow 'bout your Ma's insanity. She take youse up and decided on raisin' youse herself. Brought youse right back to me that night, and she says "We got another son, so's raise him up with me." Just told me that, not that I had a problem with it."

"Great," A greasy,black haired boy mumbled as he sat beside the older man on the dock, " It jus' get's better an' better every time youse tell's it, Gramps."

"Well, it ain't a happy tale, but it your's, Uno." Mydo, the boy's weathered grandfather, reached behind him and pulled out a brittle net.

"Uh-huh," Uno nodded then he leaned over the edge and stared down between his bare dangling feet and into the water.

He could see his thick outline wavering in the slight waves of the pond, a shadow breaking the evening sun reflecting on the surface, and could partially see his grandfather working with the net beside his silhouette. For a moment, the water stilled, and he could see his wide face, round cheeks, small, black eyes, and the plump mouth that was in a focused line as he stared into the image of himself. Then a wave disturbed it, and he was gone from sight.

"All the way to the mount," Mydo repeated, mostly to himself, then turned back to his grandson as he laughed roughly, "Ah course, then we's lived a little bit near the Calm lands…Nice place too. We moved here right after though. Made a nice little nest to start youse up in."

"Yeah," Uno nodded a second time, his round, black pupils redirecting to his grandfather's worn face, "Youse told me before."

"Well," His grandfather leaned over and patted his large head, "Yeah, guess I did. Anyways, help me with the net, Son."

The boy, without hesitation, grabbed the net and dropped it in the water, twisting his wrist so the net would spread out and blend into the color of the lake. He hardly had to even think about it now, the skill embedded into even his thick skull, and was executed quickly. Soon, the boy smiled having it done almost as fast as the man sitting beside him.

"Not gonna get much today," Mydo scratched his grayed, pony-tailed scalp, "Might as well quit, but eh."He finished with a shrug.

"Not much to do ad' home anyways," Uno finished, imitating the way his grandfather had been finishing the same sentence for the past week.

"She'd dropped you on your head, ya know?" His stand-in father laid out his muscled body across the boards of the dock, stretching his heavy arms over his head as he did so, before letting them flop flat out away from him with a grunt,, "Unsteady, she was, no sense in her head, but youse not like that." His grandfather closed his light colored eyes and shook his head against the dock, "Not a bit."

Uno pulled at the net before letting it finally settle, "No, I'm not."

"Nope," His grandfather once again shook his head, agreeing, and took a peek at his boy, "Youse steady, like your hands," His grandfather stifled a yawn, closing his eyes again, "Youse the one son who had steady hands, and steady mind too. Your dad? He always was day-dreaming and married the first fox that pass his way. Pretty girl, don't get me wrong, but something jus' wasn't right with her, youse jus' could tell. She had this unsteady look in her eyes, but Fei was too dumb tah see it. See, youse know important things, an' catch things, so's I don't worry 'bout youse at all."

The boy relaxed along side his 'father', stretching as the old man had done before allowing his chubby hands to rest on his large stomach. Once he was settled, he smiled and turned his head to his grandfather. "Whaddya mean?"

"Huh?" Mydo straightened his neck for a second, eyes opening and staring at the boy and thinking about his question, all the while recollecting the earlier conversation that he had been sleepily conducting, then jerked his head in a nod, "Oh! Well, uhm- For starters, youse smart, for an eight year old, but youse kinda- Uhmm, well, I don't know. I'm sayin', youse slow at somethings, but youse smart enough to know what's good for youse-" The old man scrunched up his face, "Ya know what? Forget it, youse fine by me."

He grandfather tasseled is chaotic hair, and was all at once at peace and without care. Once more, he closed his eyes, his arm still resting heavily on the youth's head.

"Gramps?" Uno looked up, but the old man was already dozing off again.

"We named youse Uno," His grandfather snorted loudly, " 'Cause youse was all by yourself that day…"

"I know," His grandson slipped out from under his hefty muscled arm, "So's how did your other job go? That's why youse so tired, right?"

"Hmm?" Mydo opened one lazy, hazel eye to stare his son straight in the face, and a wide beam of a smile stretched over his mouth, "Yeah, lot's a things gonna happen soon. Will you be ready, Uno?"

"For's what?" Uno tilted his head to the side.

"Change," The older man's laughed heartily, "Bwa ha ha! It's gonna be great Uno! Youse and me, livin' like this for the rest of our lives! How's does tha'd sound ta youse?"

The water lapped against the sides of the wood, and the only other sounds were the wind, the animals in the wild, and the husky breathing of his grandfather as the boy stared wide eyed and with brows lifted.

Uno smiled back, his black eyes catching the light of the waning day, "Great!"

**L.O.L.**

"You're late!" A bulky old woman turned on her heavy work boots and scolded the two 'men' that had just decided to walk in; empty handed as expected. She shook the ladle in her fatty hand towards the apologetic grins, "Why do you boys insist on fishing into the late hours of the day when you don't even catch anything! And then you let the food that I make get cold. Well, don't complain that it doesn't taste good now!"

Uno lifted his chin up and smiled wider, "We's won't!"

"It's 'we' not 'we's'. There's no 's' on the end of we," His grandmother corrected with a chubby finger before she looked disapprovingly at her 'son's' bare feet with her left eye only, the right eye a shady white and unmoving behind her eyelid. She sighed and put her hands on her wide round hips, "Uno, tell me why you can't wear your shoes."

"Don't wanna mess 'im up," Uno shrugged and waddled over to the table where a bowl had already been placed for him in front of his usual homemade chair beside his grandfather's spot, and closest to the window.

"Mess them up," She repeated with an unbelieving tone and shook her head slowly, "Better to ruin shoes then a lost nail going through your poor foot!"

"Wayah, ain't no shoe gonna stop a nail," Mydo yanked off his dirty boot on the earthen floor of the entry way, "Let the boy run free. I had my share of nails 'fore I converted to the whole shoe conformity."

Uno smiled at Mydo's light-eyed wink, then stared out the window to the sinking sun, a harsh, dark red now and only a sliver of light, as his Grandmother Wayah shuffled around to spoon the lukewarm soup into the bowls his grandfather took into his tough hands from the table. Blinking his large eyes slowly, Uno followed the ragged line of the blue-black mountains in the distance before his mother's deep voice caught his attention.

"Uno," His grandmother lifted her gray brow and opened her left eye wider, "What's the matter? You usually start yacking about your day by now. Is there a problem?"

"Youse named me Uno," He glanced out of the corner of his eye at them, "But did Ma name me something else?"

"Uh," Her light blue eye widened, while her blind one remained the same, "Why would you ask that, hon?"

"Just wondering." Uno shrugged, before his shoulders sunk and his eyes looked down at the table almost ashamed, "I-I's won't use it or anything. I's just wanted to know what I could ah been." He sheepishly peeked upwards to meet his two grandparent's gazes, "Yah know?"

"I don't know," Wayah sucked her lips into her teeth in thought before turning to her husband, "Mydo, do you?"

The old man nodded and set the bowls on the table, his calloused fingers dropping them when they were near the surface to produce to distinct _clack-_cracks as they righted themselves in front of where the man placed them. He slowly lowered himself in his own seat, between grandson and wife, and put his wide hands on his spread knees.

"It was-" He tried to recall the exact name, "-Ormi, that's right. Don't know why, but she named youse that. Says youse gonna die with that name, or was it live? Can't really remember which..."

"Die?" Uno's thick eye brows raised in alarm and his young eight year old voice squeaked with rising panic.

"MYDO!" Wayah swatted a strong hand into her husbands beefy arms, "Don't go scaring the boy!"

"Jeez woman, leave me be!" Mydo, though not actually hurt, flinched and rubbed his muscles from the sting his powerful wife for many years had delivered him.

Their grandson, instantly forgetting darker talk, laughed and picked up his spoon for the dinner his grandmother pushed closer to him.

* * *

><p>"Heeyyyyyy," A girl's voice squeaked, drawing it out, behind where he sat on his grandfather's small dock.<p>

"Hey," Uno waved a hand in recognition. The girl was Tillie and her father and his grandfather was 'partners' for their day job. Whatever it was.

"Where were you?" Tillie plopped down beside by the larger boy, her pale legs swinging out from her mid-length skirt, and promptly stuck her bare feet in the water with a splash.

"It was the Holy Day," Uno replied seriously, also drawing out his words.

"Oh yeah. Your Ma makes you go to the Bevelle Temple, right?" She tilted her small head round face, delicate brows arching, "What do you do there again?"

"Pray," He nodded and leaned back into the strength of his fat arms supporting him. The sun again was setting far to the west, the trip taking most of the day to get there, listen to the sermon, run errands, and then return home. But, like always, he had beat his 'father' home. Then, almost as an afterthought, Uno looked to the girl's face and said more specifically, "We's pray to Yevon."

He said the name of who he worshiped with importance lining his voice. As bored as he got during the service, he did listen well and learned to spread the knowledge of the teachings where he could. With Tillie, who always seemingly knew nothing and asked the same questions, he had the very opportunity every time the end of the week came.

Her green eyes fogged in confusion, "Who's he again?"

"Don't remember what I told's ya last week?" Uno laughed and splashed a foot against the dock, droplets flying from the water in a huge ring to land on the girl's soft legs, causing her to giggle. After the coolness wore off, she smiled to the boy with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"Oh! I remember!" Her soft giggle floated through the air, melding and soon disappearing into the sounds of the lake and nature.

"Good," Uno sat forward again and crossed his arms over his flabby chest, a wide toothy smile marking his face, "I was afraid I'd have ta tell yah again!"

"No, No, I remember," Tillie shook her platinum blonde hair, which only covered the top half of her head, side to side from away from her face with the vigorous motion. Her large grin shortened to a cute smile before she looked down at her small feet glowing white underneath the afternoon water. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see the darker color of the boy's feet, the image quivering as she continued to watch. Then, she followed the foot up to the body, then to the face.

Her white brows lifted in surprise as the boys looked grimly out to the orange light of the setting sun. She leaned toward him, her voice a soft whisper, "What is it?"

"Uh?" Uno jolted and turned to her, his face screwed sidways, then it cleared. "Ah, sorry. It's nothin'. It's jus'...Gramps and your dad usually back by now," Uno continued to stare out to the horizon, his face wondering,"What's taking them so long? It's almost dinnertime now..."

"Really? Huh," The girl stared at the mountains, the sun making them dark and ominous, and tried to look as thoughtful looking as the boy beside her, "Guess you're right, maybe they're running late."

She smiled and pushed on the large body beside her with her tiny shoulder, "Wanna know something?"

Uno kept his eyes to the sinking sun a few more seconds more before feeling the softness pressing into his arm, "Uh, yeah?"

"I like you," She giggled and kicked her feet gleefully in the water.

"Wha?" Uno's face blushed and he looked from side to side, searching for an answer on how to proceed, all the while trying to process what had just been said. He was best friends with the girl, she being the only one not to make fun of him all the time for one thing or another, or think he was dumb. In fact, she said he was quite smart most of the time. And ignoring the fact that he was one whole year older than her, that meant a lot.

'I like you' at their age meant a great deal and made his heart beat like a hammer in his eight year old chest. Unknowingly, her little heart was fluttering as well, with glee and happiness overflowing.

"Uno?" She tilted her head and her large green eyes blinking in patience.

"Uh," Uno stopped swiveling his eyes all around in a mad search and stared at the little girl in front of him. "Whaddya say when someone says that?"

"You say-" Tillie's eyes shone with all the light remaining in the day, childish happiness gleaming, "I like you too?"

"HUH! I like you too!" Uno grinned, his pudgy cheeks puffing out in the process.

She giggled uncontrollably, the sound pure and innocent, and threw her small hands in the air like she accomplished something grand, "YAY!

"HEY!" A groggy voice yelled from behind them. A boy with the same blond hair as Tillie pushed branches out of his way as he came rustling through the brush and into the clearing of the lake. Uno stood up at the sight of the boy, his feet dripping with the cool lake-water.

"Older brother?" Tillie looked up at the irritated face her sibling wore, her eyes wide, and pulled her feet out of the water and onto the damp planks of the dock, "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," The boy stared angrily at the larger child and hissed, "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Jus' Sitting," Uno closed his fist into a ball, but then hurried to hide it behind his back. The last time they met, under similar circumstances actually, the two of them had slugged it out and Mydo made him clean the buckets for a month in punishment for fighting.

_Youse better than that._ His grandfather pointed a stern light-colored eye to him, _Fighting is only supposed to be done when youse needs to, not just because youse mad at someone. Use your brains and not your fists all the time._

"You look like you need to stop just 'sitting', Tub," He narrowed his eyes and grabbed his sister's hand, pulling her up by a painful yank. She yelped and jumped to her feet to compensate for the jerking in her shoulder and Uno flinched in pity for her.

"Hey!" Uno slid his bare feet against the wet wood until it was evenly spaced out underneath him. "Stop that!"

The boy pushed his sister back towards the woods, all the way down the short distance of dock to the grass, and glanced over his shoulder at the other. Unfazed, the older boy shouted, "Or what, Fatty?"

Tillie yelled to her brother with a worried and anxious look, "Ji, stop it! Papa told you not to fight Uno anymore."

"Yeah," Uno looked at the girl than back at the boy, "Stop it, Ji!"

"Ha, like I should listen to you," Ji rolled his eyes at the non-threatening child before narrowing his eyes behind him at his sister, "And, what did Ma tell ya about hanging 'round him!" He jerked his head at Uno to indicate whom he was talking about.

She stomped her foot in defiance, "Dad says it was fine!"

"Dad is a no-good," Ji stopped himself and shook his head, "What do you know? You're just a little kid!"

He abruptly turned back to Uno and snarled, "You and your kin better watch it!"

"Why?" Uno stood straighter, trying to look unshaken as possible. The last time he brawled with the boy, Ji just kept dashing around and sucker punching him when he didn't have his arms up. He couldn't get a hold of him and was sore, bruised, and broke in the end. But, despite that he felt brave now, still hiding his fist behind his back as he waited for just the right cause to hit the boy.

The boy narrowed his eyes and drew closer, tight-fisted, "Why?" He repeated, "Because no family of mine is going to hang around any heathen bastards!"

"We go's to the temple!" Uno took a step back, bravery trembling but remaining still, and mumbled roughly, "So's we ain't heathens." He didn't want to say, since he knew the boy well enough to be raging mad had he done so, that Tillie's family didn't go to temple with them to pray and thus was sinning themselves.

Ji's mouth stretched into a nasty grin, and Uno could almost see the gears turning in the preteen's head through his green eyes. Ji tilted his head, the smile still slapped over is lips, "Ever heard your Gramps and my Dad talk? I bet, cause it 'volves you." The boy pointed an accusing finger and viciously jabbed it into Uno's chest, "They're planning on overthrowing Yevon and the Measters! After that he says you and him are gonna live out by the water, and just fish all day in peace."

Ji laughed afterwards at the stupid idea and Uno's eyes flashed with hate.

"Liar," Uno spat, his eyes unbelieving, and lifted his stiff shoulders up, "He ain't gonna do that! We's ain't got nothing to do with the Measters! He just works with your dad so we's can live nice."

"Works where?" The boy took another step forward, forcing Uno backwards, "Do you even know?"

"Uh, uh…" Uno stammered and stumbled just a bit as he felt, and knew from his own memory, that the end of the dock over the lake's glassy surface was drawing nearer.

"Ma was right," Ji smirked and pulled himself up to his full height, a full head and a half over Uno, and shouted condescendingly, "You're nothing! Just worthless offspring of a Bevellian whore and a cowardly Crusader's son!"

"Take that back!" Uno felt his fingernails dig into his palms behind him, "I don't care 'bout me or my real ma, or even my real dad! But youse take back what youse said about my Gramps being a coward!"

"Huh!" The boy scoffed and leaned closer, near enough that Uno could feel his moist breath on his face, "Your Gramps is a coward! He quit being a Crusader after he fought Sin once! He was too afeared to get near Sin again and fight!"

"Take it back!" Uno felt angry tears sting the insides of his eyes, "Youse take it back now!"

Seeing himself gain the upper hand, the boy laughed mercilessly, "And you're just like that! Ma said that the offspring is always gonna take something from the parents. And you're a coward! You're dad was a coward like your Gramps and so are you! Or are you a looney like your ma?"

"Stop it!" Tillie yanked on a short lock of her hair and bit her lip, stomping her feet in her place and tears threatening to spill from her emerald eyes, "Ji! Stop it!"

Uno snapped, "Im's not a coward!"

"Then why don't you hit me?" Ji flicked Uno's forehead hard and he stumbled back in response, fiery anger building. "Huh? Are you too scared or stupid?"

Tillie's shrill voice rose, "Be nice to Uno!"

"Why?" Ji flicked Uno's forehead again, then with his other hand bopped the other's head with an open palm, spitting as he barked at the younger child, "You and her sweethearts now, is that it? Don't make me laugh! I ain't gonna let that happen, ever!"

Uno looked up and bit his lip, "Ji, youse aren't the boss! Youse are a kid jus' like us!"

Ji straightened his neck, his face twitching, before his entire face shrunk and pulled tightly together, "Huh! That right?"

The preteen grabbed a handful of Uno's old holey shirt, a hand-me down from Mydo, and pulled back a fist. Uno braced himself right before Ji swung into his soft face, leaving a nick right above Uno's eyebrow. Throwing another quick punch, he left a cracked lip, then a bloody nose, before finally releasing him, satisfied in the red trailing down the boy's fat face.

"You're not gonna try flailing around to grab me?" Ji leaned over the boy's bent back. Uno wiped at his nose and mouth, leaving a rust colored stain on his shirt sleeve, before staring up with dense black eyes.

"Gramps told me not to fight anymore," Uno wiped with his other hand and blood smeared over his palm, but the flow of his nose continued, "We's better than that he says."

"Better?" Ji kicked Uno's face from where it was bowed down, and Uno's entire body lurched back again until he felt the dock's end against his calloused heels.

"Like that coward is better than anyone!" Ji's rotten smile turned into a deep frown and he crept closer to the boy balanced on the edge, "Your ma shoulda just dropped you off Gagazet."

Uno peeked over his shoulder, the calm water bringing no comfort, before huffing, barely controlling his anger, and pushing Ji back a step with all his might, "Stop it!"

The preteen seemed surprised for a moment before smiling devilishly, "You're definitely his kin alright. That all you got? You too scared to do anything else?"

Uno inched his feet against the wet boards and swallowed down a lump in his throat, his nose hurting, and his eyes stinging.

Ji leaned, threateningly and intimidating, into Uno's space, a pitiless gleam in his eyes, "You gonna cry now, ya big baby?"

"No," Uno felt the tears sting his face more than ever then, " No, I'm not!"

"Gonna cry and jump off a mountain like your looney mom?"

"Ji! Stop it!" Tillie cried one last time, sounding like a broken record, tears streaking her dirty cheeks. She looked up under her pale delicate furrowed brows and choked," You're being cruel!"

"Jump! Jump!" Ji swung his hand back to push the other boy into the water and screamed, "Do it!"

Uno gritted his teeth and screamed back at the top of his lungs, "NO!"

"OH! JUST LET 'IM HAVE IT, SON!" A throaty voice commanded at full volume from the shadowy tree line. Ji stopped mid-swing, startled, and something in Uno's chest, the wall of control to his anger, snapped. He lashed out with a thick fist and smashed it into the boy's face, with a cry rattling in the air as Uno rammed himself into the taller boy's body. Ji's nose spurted in blood from Uno's knuckles and the older boy stumbled the entire dock length back with large unsteady steps.

"USE YOUR WEIGHT AGAINST HIM!" A rough female voice also squawked from the trees, interrupting any further directions from the other one, and Uno, complying willingly with his grandparent's demands, ran full force into the Ji with his head bent down, knocking him on his back.

Tillie gasped, a smile dancing on her small lips, and jumped away from her whimpering brother. Uno stepped over the boy and punched his chin and ears until the boy cried out, blood pouring from his nose and from broken teeth.

Strong arms pulled Uno up halfway into the air, and Uno still swung madly about, his eyes closed shut and his voice roaring. The arms hauled him away from the cowering boy who turned over gripping his face, and pulled him towards the trees, stopping just short of them. Uno's fists quivered for more fighting but he stopped struggling when he recognized his grandmother's protective and authoritative hands rubbing his head.

"Enough," A fleshy hand swept his black hair back and gently patted his bruised head, "No more, there that's a good boy, no need for you to teach more than just a good lesson. I swear that boy deserved a whupping or two, but you've shown enough bravery for one day. There, that's my sweet boy."

Her face smiled down at him, kind, and proud. Uno smiled back and his eyes lidded, his adrenaline draining away from him, and he laid exhausted in his grandmother's arms, happy.

"Damn good fighter." His 'father' smiled down at him too, his head slipping into Uno's vision from behind his grandmother's head. Mydo leaned down and put his thick hands on his trunk-like knees, turning his eyes to the back of Wayah's head, and smiled greatly, "Steady hands was always gonna be good for knocking some sense into people! I just knew he had what I don't, didn't I tell ya?"

Wayah lost the bit of kind light for a moment and frowned, "Yes, yes, you senile old man, you've told me. But, seeing as I've never disagreed with you, you ought not to look so damn proud of yourself like you called something!"

"Huh?" Uno breathed out and, still laying wearily on his grandmother's lap, looked up at the light eyes staring down at him.

His grandmother re-applied her smile and wiped blood from his chin, "I'm so happy, Uno. Now-"

"Unnnnnooooo!" An small excited cry erupted and grew closer and closer before Uno finally managed to sit up on his own rear to see what was calling him. Tillie suddenly leaped through the air and threw small arms around his neck, nearly pushing him back into his grandmother's generous curves when her body crashed into his. He wrapped his arms awkwardly around her small waist and a red blush painted his cheeks under his wide eyes.

"I really like you, Uno!" Her small seven-year-old body knew nothing else to say, and her legs warmly laid in the grass after kicking the air in triumph.

After a moment of amazement, the old couple met each other's eyes warmly and knowingly smiled.

"Huh? I-I like youse too?" The corner of Uno's plump lips twitched upwards and he wiped at his bleeding nose with the back of his hand before hugging back clumsily.

Quick, sharp, cries sounded from the dock and Uno and Tillie whirled their heads around to see what was making that noise. Ji was hoisted over Tillie and his father's shoulder, and their father was spanking (actually spanking!) his twelve-year-old son.

Uno couldn't help but chuckle and released Tillie, before shaking his head slowly and lifting his brows at her, "Not even I get spanked no more."

Tillie, despite her brother being punished, brought a hand to her mouth and giggled at the embarrassment of her older sibling.

"Don't push it," His grandfather warned, " I'll still whup ya if youse get stupid and-."

"Mydo," Wayah put a doughy hand on her husband's hard shoulder and shook her head, her voice soft as she said, "We have to go now."

The two children grew instantly quiet after the odd interruption, and large wondering eyes lifted to the elder's faces, questioning deeply.

Uno's brows furrowed after a moment of silence and his Gramps leaned down and sat on his haunches, thick, gray pony-tail falling over his chest, and groaned like what he was going to say was to hard to get out right away. Wayah swiped some of her peppered hair out of her face and replaced her supportive hand on her husband's meaty shoulder.

Mydo coughed and then looked up with concerned hazel eyes, "Son, do youse remember how to do the Yevon greeting? That bowing thing they's do?"

"Yeah, I did it this morning at the Temple," Uno glanced over his shoulder at Tillie, but she shyly backed away and chased after her whining brother and retreating father.

"Well, we have something to talk about," Gramps smiled again, but it was weak, and his eyes were dull, almost lifeless, "Can youse remember to do what _youse_ think is right, no matter what? Even when me or grandmuh ain't 'round no more?"

"Huh? What are youse talkin' 'bout?" Uno sat up, alarmed.

Mydo looked around, then back down at the ground almost in shame, "Just remember I's never wanted to hurt youse-" He closed his eyes again, pained, and forced them to stare back at his grandson, "We'll talk all a'bout this at home. I'll tell's youse everything. But, we's have to go now. Come on, Tillie and Ji is getting the same talk so,… y-youse young'uns remember to stay together, hear me?"

"I hear," Uno shook his head, his chest sinking to his gut then lower and lower into his body, "I hear."

* * *

><p>"What?" Uno felt himself straighten against the back of the homemade, wood chair that had been his for years, the familiar feel of it sadly telling him that this wasn't a dream. Though he wished it was a dream, a nightmare, that he could wake up from. He pushe into it harder, feeling as he felt his face hurt with emotion that he didn't want to break loose, and the roughness rubbed against his back until he felt little splinters stick into him. The pain again only told him it was reality.<p>

His grandparent's winced in unison as their grandson displayed his inner turmoil on his true, un-deceiving face. His grandfather especially. The old man seemingly lost all strength as he sat slumped in his seat beside Uno. His grandmother stood taller behind her husband's chair, her strong hand still holding Mydo down to earth, and as the real central power in the home, she swallowed down her tears.

"Your Grandfather," Wayah sighed, recomposing herself, and looked down at the ground to avoid her grandson's heart breaking gaze, "And me too, we're what you call 'rebels', defilers of Yevon...heathens, by what the Measters would label us, I suppose."

"No." Uno swallowed, his throat showing the sadness he was gulping down through his sun-kissed skin, "We's jus' got back from the Temple. Youse always s-said-"

"I took you there so we could cover what we were doing," His grandmother shook her head "And teach you, hon, so if… when soldiers came, you can trick them. You can be a Yevonite and go with them, and_ live_." Her steely eyes gained hardness again, and she nodded once, before closing her eyes, "But, you'll know what we're doing and why, 'fore you go. You can make your own opinions but you'll know that we weren't just radicals. We had a cause, a good reason, for our actions."

"Okay," Uno felt the boulder his chest cavity had become sink to the bottom of his chair, but he copied the bravery his grandparents had shown him, "O-okay, what is it?"

"The Measters aren't always doing the people good. They use them, and say that it was all Yevon's will." Wayah's mouth pinched into a harsh line, "They's just use the people like tools that can be broken and replaced. They's did it with _my _son, your father, and it-" Wayah swiped at her eyes, her blind eye looking far back in the past, "-We's been fighting the Measter's ever since. Yevon isn't so cruel to condone the waste of his own people. They aren't tools that can be trashed when they don't work right."

Mydo looked down solemnly, his wife growing silent behind him, "Boy, we've, Tillie's father and I, we've been caught, and Bevelle soldiers are coming for us to gun us down."

"Why?" Uno's eyebrows furrowed, a sharp rut forming on his forehead, "Why would they come? What are they going to do? What didja guys do that was so bad?"

"They're going to get rid of us," Mydo shook his head, unable to bring himself to answer the rest of his young son's questions, "They're going to kill us, but not youse. Never youse. Youse run and if they's catch youse, youse bow and respect them long enough to get away again. When youse run, don't come back here, they will be looking for youse here. Youse just keep running until youse are safe...Just go anywhere, but not here. Don't come back for us."

"B-but," Uno's eyes quivered under his lids, "Where? Why can't youse come too?" He nearly lurched from his seat and grabbed his grandfather's sunburned forearm and pulled weakly, "We'll run now Gramps! Youse, me, and Grandmuh can run now, and youse guys can be safe with me!"

"Boy..."

"I-I won't let them get ya!"

"Uno..."

"I-I's promise, I'll do anything! Please! I promise I'll protect youse guys! I won't let anything hurt ya!"

"Son!" Mydo shouted and his voice cracked, scaring Uno more than him being angry would've done. Uno blinked and two fat tears rolled down his face as he stared, speechless, into the face that seemed so much more aged then it had been that morning.

Mydo bent his head down and pulled his arm from Uno's grip to grab his grandson's hands himself. He held it between them, the unshakable strength trembling around Uno's fingers, causing the boy to pull up in fear.

Mydo looked up and pointed his light eyes into the dark hues of his son, "You're brave and smart, youse know what's good for youse, but me? I's don't, never did. I've fought all my life for peace and quiet but youse can't fight for that. It just doesn't make sense. Youse can't get something by doing the opposite Uno, ya know? For once, I need to fight, I need to protect my family and I can't do that if I run. I'll stay here, and youse run as far away as youse can."

"NO!" Uno hoarsely cried and he started quivering again, "I'm not leaving youse!"

"You will," Wayah swayed and gripped her hand over her heart, "You have to, dear."

Tears and snot started to mix and destroy the happiness that he'd hidden behind all these peaceful years, "B-but!-"

"No more!" Wayah cut him off and quickly moved to grab his shoulders in her hands, shaking him slightly until his eyes were completely focused on her, "Listen, Uno, and listen well. There isn't much time. The day we adopted you and the day your mother died was the day we swore we'd change the world for you. Uno, your mother didn't kill herself out of craziness, but sorrow. Cause Yevon took her husband away, claiming he was a threat to Yevon because he asked too many and all the wrong questions. She climbed up that mountain with you in tow to save you from the officials that wanted your and her blood with his. I-I don't know what happened exactly but she jumped and left you to live, _live_, Uno."

Wayah shook her head pathetically, something that made Uno extremely uncomfortable, "We's were in sorrow too. We took you, and we wanted it to be different for you. We hated Yevon and their secrets and deceptions, so we fought against them so you might have a world different from ours. Peaceful. We made a group, but they found us this morning and they're sure to come. So you have to run, and don't look back at us, because if you do all the things we've done, and your mother, and father, has done for you would go to waste..."

"Why not youse too?" Uno felt the lump in his throat come painfully up, not understanding why he and his grandparents couldn't leave together and find safety. "Why not?"

"We can't," Mydo fought tears himself, "They won't stop until the 'leaders' are dead, and they'll want to hurt youse too if they find youse, but they won't. They won't…"

Wayah's grip tightened on her shaking husband's shoulder, "We's won't let these men hurt youse. But, youse have to go."

"I-" Uno started but was again cut off by a sharp order that his grandmother screamed, emotion and tears lining her voice-

"GO!"

Wayah's tone held the command that could not be questioned. He slid is heavy body out of the chair, walked slowly and weak legged to the back door, and pulled the cumbersome knob with all his might. It opened gradually, the weight dragging on the dirt floor, before the last shreds of evening before night entered the house.

Uno sent a begging look over his shoulder only to see his grandfather with his forehead in his hand and his grandmother leaning over him, calmly rubbing his back like she did for Uno when he cried.

He pulled the door shut with a slam as he ran with it outside, letting go of the handle just as his arm jerked it shut. His bare feet thumped on the ground so hard but he couldn't see where he was going through his blinding tears, only feeling the smashing of his grandmother's flowers and strawberries underfoot.

Uno stopped at the end of the yard, falling on his side to the ground helplessly, and brought his knees to his body to hug them. He took a few heaving breaths before he buried his head in them, and sobbed.

Down the road a woman screamed, Tillie's mother, then gun shots.

* * *

><p>He couldn't run anymore. He could hear the gunshots sound behind him, and to his ears, they just got closer and closer. He pushed away black branches that reached out to claw and snag him, trap him in the scary night-time woods forever, and ran over stones and sticks that cut the bottom of his feet up. He burst out of the trees and into the moonlight finally, his breathing and heartbeat deafening, and gasped for air as he saw his grandfather's dock come into view.<p>

He stopped right in front of it, unable to go anymore. The water was incredibly still, but he could hear the screams and the gunfire, like a nightmare of the worst kind.

The bushes rustled behind him and he jumped, holding on to the pale faded color of his still blood-stained shirt. Ji, with his own bloody shirt on, came running out, dragging Tillie behind him.

"Uno! Let's go!" Ji turned, now to him the boy wasn't a rival, but a child left in his charge, and held out his free hand to direct the younger boy, "Let's go-NOW!"

"Okay!" Uno nodded, his eyes wide and fearful, and hurtled after the blonde-headed children that ran along the lake for the curve in the trees that would lead back to the main road and to Bevelle or towards the opposite end of Spira.

The trio of children stopped frozen as more rustling, and the ominous clanking of armor, came rushing through the brush from where they nearly reached.

Tillie gripped at her brother's arm, and through tears she angrily stared at soldiers coming through the trees.

"Halt!" The solider in the front stopped the chase and stared coldly down at the children. Ji slowly shook Tillie off, then ran forward, fist aimed for the leader's face, yelling behind him, "RUN! RUN!"

Uno and Tillie gasped and stood petrified as a gunshot echoed through the night, before a deadly silence fell over the seconds. Then, Tillie screamed.

Uno could feel the adrenaline build up again and he grabbed at the girl's thin arms. Again, they were running away from the group. Ji's body thudded frigidly to the ground in the darkness.

Tillie was sobbing and her body felt like it was losing all energy as they ran. Uno could feel her hand pull back on his as she grew slower and slower. He could see the stone house his grandparent's had lived in for eight years, for once realizing how much space was between the backyard's woods and his safe home, and coaxed Tillie to continue for just a bit longer.

The back door was hanging from one hinge and the potted plants beside the door were crushed, and in dirty shards across the back entryway. He let go of the little girl's hand long enough to shove the heavy door to the side, and then slapped his palm back into hers. Leading in the slowing Tillie, he avoided the living room, where at a quick glance two familiar shapes laid beside each other on the floor, unmoving and with dark liquid growing underneath them.

Desperately, he turned back to the kitchen, avoiding the stairs that required one to walk through the living room, and stepped into the last safe place he remembered.

Letting go of her hand again, he frantically pushed everything out of a high cabinet. Dishes that the family used for years crashed and broke into tiny pieces against the tile. It hurt to see years of memories crushed and broken, but he continued to shatter everything in his way until the space of the cabinet was cleared. Once it was done, he turned back on his knees to the little girl standing on the floor and held his hand out to her to pull her up with him. The space he had created was way too small for him, but Tillie was extremely small and flexible, and in a crouching position she could be safely hidden away. Shutting the door he whispered-

"I'll be back, don' move." He jumped down and ran to find a lower shelf to clear out for himself. He yanked open the biggest shelf and started to toss all the pots and pans from the cabinet to clang and scatter on the kitchen floor with the plate pieces, deciding only to keep a heavy pot that handle fit snug in his hand, before he backed himself into the shelf and let the door clatter shut.

After he let it shut, he held his breath, fearing to make any sounds and praying as hard as he could, before it seemed like eternity passed and footsteps came back through the house. He clamped his eyes shut and stiffened into a tight ball, only a slight whine escaping his lips, when he heard clanging armor re-enter the kitchen.

He put his hands, one still holding the pot, against his ears to block out the horrifying noises of soldiers walking. There was a crack of wood against wood, before his eyes flashed open realizing a shelf was yanked open. Then, Tillie screamed.

"Let go! Let go! No! Please, Uno, help me!"

He couldn't move at first. An icy hand strangled him in fear, something he hardly ever felt, and held him in his place shivering.

"Uno please! I don't want to die!"

His hand tightened around the pot and he flew from the cabinet. Tears in his eyes and screamed at the top of his lungs and swung in a mad frenzy all that he could reach. Knees, arms, hands, legs, bodies, and faces of the soldiers was whacked with the heavy pot as hard as his arms could bring it to them.

Mid-scream, he swallowed down the sound and stopped when a loud bang filled the space of his home and dust and rubble fell from the ceiling. The lead solider from earlier dragged a limp body behind him, and in his free hand had fired a pistol above for silence.

Tillie cried out louder, "Uno! Make them go away!"

Uno held the pot out in front of his body, his hands shaking, "G-go away…"

The soldiers laughed, some even rubbed their chins amusingly, but the lead solider just stared, studying him.

"I said go away!" Uno yelled in a voice far above his age, "I mean it. Youse get outta here, now!"

"Nnnn…" Ji moved and whimpered, his face contorted in extreme pain. Uno's eyes grew wide then flashed with hate, "Let him go too!"

"You must be the boy Mydo raised," The soldier concluded and dropped Ji roughly to the ground. The boy rolled on his back and gripped his stomach in pain, a huge red splotch consuming his shirt. Sweat dappled his face, and the boy attempted to talk but only coughed up red in such large amounts that it frightened the children beyond imagination.

"G-get, get away!" Uno swung but a powerful hand grabbed is wrist and pushed him back. The pot clattered to the ground and arms instantly shot in and seized him up, holding him in place with great force.

"Tell me boy," The man leaned into his face, "How do you feel about Yevon?"

"NO!" Tillie screamed and cried helplessly, "I hate it! Ji! What did you do to Ji!?"

"Shut up!" The man stood tall and backhanded her across her face, causing her to squeak pathetically.

"I hate you, I hate you!" Tillie's eyes flew off in flurries from her clear pale face.

"Uhn," Uno swallowed, sweat starting to form and trickle down his face as he felt the presence of the weapons and mean men draw closer, "I like Yevon's teachings…"

The soldier smiled superiorly, then Uno frowned deeply in response to it, "-but I don't like youse at all."

Ji coughed and cried out more, Tillie whimpered and squirmed, only making the silence that followed all the more unbearable. Uno's heart sunk, knowing he made a mistake.

"I follow the teachings, I get rid of all the heathens," The man swung a hand out and 'showed' his work, "And you want to judge me as a bad person, is that it?"

Uno's eyes trailed to the bit of the living room he could see, the shapes almost becoming clear as the moon showed her face through the night and trickled into the window, making the crimson blood glow on the two bodies speckled with it. His eyes widened in horror and he felt his chest and heart break open.

"Y-youse k-killed-" Uno felt everything come out, anger and sadness flying from the deepest parts of his soul, as he roared, "Youse killed them! Youse e-evil, horrible, awful-!"

The solider frowned, "Would you like to join them?"

"Noooooooooo!" Tillie quaked in the grip of the solider holding her still before the man narrowed his eyes and turned on his heel to peer down at Ji who had coughed and begged for help. The solider pulled a pistol from his belt and aimed it at Ji's head. Tillie's shrill scream grew louder, "NO! PLEASE!"

He pulled the trigger. Tillie cried out, entire body shaking, and her knees gave to allow her body to cave and crumple to the floor. She sobbed, watery eyes unwavering from her brother's bloody end. The man aimed again.

"NO!" Uno closed his eyes as the quick bang silenced her weeping and grief, forever. He felt everything, his entire world, fall out into empty space. He slowly opened his eyes and saw blood sprayed across the chair he had sat in earlier, happy, alive, and not even imagining that this would ever happen. He followed the trail of red to Ji's head, covered in his blood, with a large hole consuming his left eye socket. The rest of his face simply disappeared in the gore. A trickle of blood came pouring out of his wound and made a pool on the floor underneath his body, growing still and sliding into the boy's open in death mouth.

Coughing back sick, Uno slowly looked down at his feet, away from Ji, only to find where a small platinum blonde head fell in front of him. A bullet hole in her tiny forehead marked her pale skin like another eye, but blew out the bottom half of her face, making what he once knew, unrecognizable. Gore cascaded around the area, and her pool of blood grew and the edge of it slid across the floor towards his feet. Soon, to his horror, he could feel it against his bare toes.

The world spun around and he fell to his knees, puking.

Dark shadows crept around his senses until the soldier's shuffling turned into numb, cold, pain.

* * *

><p><strong>End Chapter 1<strong>

**Pretty morbid right? Well, it'll get better for him, but yeah, sorry if I gave anyone nightmares from this (if you're not a mature reader to begin with) Don't fret, it won't be all downers. In fact, since it's me, it will probably be mostly humorous (can you believe that with this ending?)**

**By the way the setting was a small, rather uneducated village, just a hair breath away from Bevelle. **

**REVIEW!**


	2. It was His

**~StormyTitan**

**Logos's turn! I hope this ends up well….remember his name is Sano now ^^**

* * *

><p>"Ouch! Mother!" Mia sucked in much needed air as their mother tightened the white obi around her waist, her delicate hand placing itself instinctively on her stomach to make sure her ribs weren't completely crushed inwardly.<p>

Her mother sighed behind her and her face, olive-toned, large tilted eyes, and lines that marked her age against her clear skin, appeared behind her own younger like-image in the mirror's glassy surface. Her daughter's reflection met her greenish-hued eyes with her steely ones, and frowned.

"Oh, Mia," Kotone smiled as her daughter gasped for breath again, "You said to tighten it." She pointed out.

"I know, I know," Mia rolled her eyes, and partially turned around to see her mother's real face, "I want to look skinnier, Mother, but I still want to breathe!"

Their mother scoffed lightly and placed gentle hands on her daughter's shoulders, guiding her back around to face the mirror. Her hands went back to the white-brocaded belt and pulled just a bit tighter, much to Mia's discomfort and mumbled complaint, before she dimly smiled.

"There, done." Kotone patted her daughter's back, a skillful knot expertly tied by the woman's thin hands, and prettily displayed against the cloth of the wedding robe. The effect was graceful and elegant, the perfect look for her daughter's tall and sophisticated build and posture.

Nonetheless, for good measure, she critically eyed her beautiful daughter up and down, finding no flaws whatsoever with a satisfied grin. She smiled comfortingly at Mia's nervous face that also searched her appearance in the mirror, almost doubtfully at what she was looking at. Kotone put a kind, reassuring hand on her daughter's shoulder, laughing softly, "You look simply lovely."

"You sure I don't look stupid with this thing so tight?" Mia ran a thin finger along her waistline, before her eyes narrowed uneasily, "Or maybe it should be tighter?"

Kotone sighed lightly and shook her head, "I don't see why you want to look any skinnier, dear. You're as thin as the rest of your family."

A boy nodded his agreement, his voice a low, drawling slur, "Sister-dear , Kotone is right. If any of us, including you, became anymore thinner we would disappear quite completely, I should think."

Mia looked into the mirror to see the little boy quietly sitting on a stool in the corner. His narrow eyes, upturned at the corners, and of such a dark dusky color that his face seemingly only peered out of slits of onyx, watched her and Kotone intently. The usual rebellious tendrils of black hair had been carefully combed back into a stunted ponytail and out of the way of the young, sallow-hued, and round face. As a result every piece of his face could be seen clearly for once; including his full-lipped mouth that had eruditely produced such an advanced sentence, formed into it's usual setting; a smooth, loose frown. Mia smiled warmly at the familiar face.

"Talk like a cute eight-year-old brother I lied to all my friends and said I had," Mia winked at her littlest brother, Sano, who had a peculiar habit of thinking out his words that he learned so earnestly before actually speaking to make himself sound particularly older.

Mia turned her veiled head to the side and wrinkled her nose at him before turning back to the mirror, adding, "And, Sano, you can call her 'Mom', you know?"

"I know." Sano raised his chin before shifting his small, squinted eyes and turning a page in the book he had resting on his extremely bony knees. Unlike most of his family, who had at least 'softer' edges to their thin physique, he was mostly just skin stretched taunt over bones, his knees and elbows making sharp, knobby points when he would bend them. He didn't have a lot of muscle and he had a head that was much too large for his body at the time.

Undoubtedly, the boy was at an awkward growing stage, and he was quite aware of it, though that fact didn't justify acting as awkward as he looked, which he avoided doing at all costs.

"Then why don't you call her just 'Mom' and not 'Kotone'?" His sister prodded as she lifted her hands and smoothed the sides of her short black hair, her face framed by her stylishly trimmed bangs.

He lifted his eyes from the pages in his book, grimacing at something, before voicing his mind, "But, must I sound so childish and needy? 'Kotone' sounds pretty, doesn't it? And, it's still Mother's name..." Sano concluded, hopefully convincingly on his part.

"Yeah, well," Mia started, her hands on her white clad hips, before Kotone's light chuckle swung her attentions back.

"Oh, let it be, it makes him feel more mature," Kotone said with humor in her eyes, and saw fit to explain, "His friends at school made fun of him the other day because he called me 'Mommy'. Since then, he started calling me by my name."

"He could say 'Mom', and it wouldn't hurt him at all." Mia shot her little brother a small look before turning back to the mirror with her mother and grabbed at jars on the dresser table. Sano lifted his head from the book to stare at the strange ritual that was beautifying the face with makeup and powders, as he had witnessed many times, and found that it still fascinated him to see it change someone he was so used to looking at into something more radiant and into a pretty stranger.

Once everything was carefully painted or smoothed into place, Mia put down her makeup brush, and again, checked herself in the mirror.

The white veil behind her head nearly glowed with a pearly light, illuminating her smooth make-upped face, and her robe was form fitting, but not tightly, while her obi outlined her hips in an easily flowing curve. However, the image and effects were only marred by a flash of an unsure smile on the bride-to-be's face as she swiveled her head to look at her mother, asking somewhat uncertainly, "Do I _really_ look okay?"

"Beautiful," Kotone encouraged patiently and smiled wider, "Perfect for your wedding day." Then, perhaps somewhat impatiently, "Are you ready to go _now, _dear?"

Mia laughed lightly, finally comforted for a moment. "Yes, Mom, I think so."

She swiped up and gently pulled her matching white gloves over her olive-colored hands from the dresser top, her own tilted eyes seeing the brief emotion in her mother's hues as she glanced upwards. She angled her chin to the side and lifted a delicate black brow, asking softly, "Still think I'm too young to marry, Mom?"

Sano again lifted his eyes from his book, though he tried to resist and ignore them as best as he could. He wasn't pleased with the subject of his sister marrying, this much he shared with his mother, who nodded and shrugged lightly in return to Mia's question, "Well, yes. But, as long as you're in love."

The tone was mild and honest, which prickled young Sano's nerves. He slammed the book shut, a puff of air escaping from between the pages before it was too late, and hauled it up with him from the stool as he stood to his full, tall for an eight-year-old height.

"How long do these things take anyway?" Sano snapped and leaned forward to his sister's and mother's backs, "Are we leaving for it soon?"

"Soon," Mia laughed again, the sound light and carefree. She was, without a mistake, happy with the occasion. "I'm almost done, Squirt, just be patient and hold on."

"It won't take long," His mother answered him, "But longer than you think. People have to go through a lot to get married. You just read your book, alright darling?"

"Yes, Kotone," Sano mumbled under his breath before he turned on his heel to exit. The wide book was still pressed underneath his arm and against his body as he pulled at the brass handle of his mother's bedroom door and saw himself out, his mother and sister still too busy conversing about boring and stupid marriage happily to really notice or care.

As soon as the door swung completely open on its hinge, he stepped out into his home's second story hallway and left it carelessly ajar, another of his peculiar habits that his family was all too familiar with. He pulled the book up against his chest to keep it from slipping anymore, and set his sights on the stairs that led down to the front entry way. His frown deepened on his features, distorting them ever downward, before he managed to get out of earshot of the talk his mother and sister were indulging in.

While he carefully picked his small way down the huge steps, he yanked at the stifling collar around his neck irritably, and his mouth pursed again into a characteristic scowl. After all, today was a big day for his sister. She was getting married and leaving the house. And, personally, Sano didn't like it one bit, not even mentioning the stupid clothes. Everything about it was stupid and rotten.

Mostly since, number one, he hated the man she was choosing to blend their family with, and secondly, she was leaving him all too soon. It seemed only a couple of days ago she was kid just like him. Why should she get married now?

Hopefully, Letalis, Kotone's first son and everyone's eldest brother, would make it in time for the event. It would be something to brighten up Sano's day at least. But, something in Sano's chest told him that it was not going to be despite Mia's wishes. Even at this age, he knew he was a more negative thinker, but at the moment he saw himself as a realist. The Yevon Army needed Letalis there in Bevelle, they had said not two days earlier, and if they could release him for a couple hours they would and that they'd have a man check into it. Which only meant that Letalis would stay in Bevelle like always.

After all, it was the same excuse every time. It didn't matter what reason or important occasion they wanted him home for, be it his own birthday, or any of the Yevon holidays, or even the first week of the year (when most soldiers have their leave), the Army always supplied that lame excuse and withheld his brother. Sano wondered if the Army thought they were stupid or maybe just naive. But, then again, it could've just been that the army made the same excuse for everyone and they just forgot who they told what to, he reasoned.

That still didn't change the fact that Letalis would not be there.

As Sano made his way down the stairs, the dress pants he was wearing started itching above all other discomforts. The seam ran along his long legs and as he strode down the last steps, his legs rubbed against the scratchy surface. If he didn't get out of this ridiculous outfit soon he might just lose his mind, he determined, before he quickly turned at the bottom of the stairs, one skinny hand adjusting the stupid tie at his neck while his other juggled with the book.

_All in all, it's going to just be a stupid day_, He concluded resentfully as he made his way through the foyer.

Sano entered the family room and settled himself on the rich dark-red carpet that covered a circular space over the smooth finished wood paneling and lowered the book into the shallow space between his crossed legs. His face was moody, for everything that was happening around him, before he took time to examine the book's cover again and let his features relax.

The cover was colored leather, a brown so dark it was near black, with perfect gold-painted letters on the front reading, 'Spira's Wide Battle History Volume 16', before his nimble fingers creaked back the cover to the first crisp pages.

Licking his fingers, mostly just for show though no one was watching, he started to turn the pages to his spot in the huge text.

A shadow crept into the living room from the door that led to the dining room. It moved like water, fluent, and stopped, wordless, as it observed the boy sitting in his moment of peace on the carpet. Noiselessly, it dove behind the Victorian styled couch without Sano being aware. It continued to crawl before rounding the edge of the couch and creeping up behind the engrossed eight-year-old, silent as a predator.

Yagi, Sano's third eldest sibling and closest to him in age, pulled his body quietly to his knees and held his arms out to the sides of him like he'd seize the boy up while pretending to be a fiend (as, annoyingly, he had done before) but a young, small voice stopped him-

"Don't even think about it, you pest." Sano leaned his head back to sneer at his older brother.

Changing tactics, Yagi held out his fingers and wiggled them, a devilish look slapped over his tanned face, "Oh~Sano?"

Yagi drew closer and leaned his tall form over his younger brother, "Look's like Mom has got your hair all nice and slicked back."

"Touch it and you die," Sano flinched and leaned away from Yagi's mischievous grin and closing-in hands. He hated the heavy feeling of the strands covered in gel against his scalp, but their mother took painstaking care to brush all the knots from his longish hair and slick it back into a thin pony tail that laid down against the nape of his neck. He didn't want Yagi, the idiot he was, messing up all she worked for.

He frowned when his brother showed no signs of retreating, and jumped to his feet, glancing at the door that went to the front entry way, and ultimately, to their mother upstairs.

"Oh! I don't think so, Bro." Yagi tackled his brother's middle and sent him flat on his back on the living room floor, their thin limbs entangling themselves up in each other as Sano attempted to smash his book in Yagi's face, and Yagi tried tickling his brother into submission. The older brother smiled, crushing the younger one with his body and pinning down the weak arms, "You're not getting away from me and telling Mom this time."

Two pairs of feet walked down the stairs and joined them below.

"Mother!" Sano's called and his frown deepened as he attempted to swat at the hand that hovered over his head, "Yagi won't leave my head alone!"

At the sound of her youngest's distress, she entered the living room rubbing her head wearily, "Now, now," She tried to soothe, "Why can't you boys get along?"

"Oh I'm just playing with him, Mom." Yagi informed and cackled as he pinched a stiff lock of black hair, while maneuvering his other hand under his brother's naturally pronounced ribs to wiggle them against him.

Sano squirmed, his face twisted up and his eyes pinched, before he snarled, "Stop it, Yagi!"

Yagi's fun-loving tone smoothly slipped from his curled mouth, "I'm just tickling you, bro!"

Sano hissed and dangerously narrowed his small eyes, "I **hate **being tickled."

"You hate to laugh or smile," Yagi saw fit to correct and continued to make his brother squirm and writhe with a grimace on his face.

Sano's foot planted into Yagi's gut, hardly hurting him, and he shouted, "Get off, you incredible nuisance!"

Yagi took the insult in a stride, and in a sing-song voice mockingly asked, "Or what shall you do, my adorable, harmless, foul-tempered little brother?"

Sano bared his teeth, sharp, small, and white, "I'll bite."

"Ohhh," Yagi teasingly drew out from his rounded lips, "I'm shaking in my-OW!"

Yagi's yowl of pain brought an exasperated hand to their mother's forehead, she sighing deeply, as the noise of 'battle' rose from the floor towards her. As she massaged any likely headaches, sharp teeth gnashed into the tan skin of an older brother's hand; Yagi complaining and threatening appropriately, while Sano replied with growls and continued to kick to be released.

"Boys!" Their mother shouted when they continued and all movement from them instantly ceased, the boys frozen in the pose that they were struggling in at the time. Then, Yagi released Sano with one last rough knuckle rub to his scalp before standing up.

"Okay, okay," Sano's older brother held his hands innocently in the air.

Sano rose to stand on his feet and dusted off his shirt with a muttered insult directed towards his brother. Then, he swooped down and picked up the volume from where it had fallen and said a bit more louder, "If you mess with me again, Yagi, I'm going to hit you with this book. See?" He held up the book by the thick spine over his head to demonstrate.

Yagi took it with humor, "Ahhh, don't hit me little brother!" He smiled and nearly choked on his repressed laughter.

"I mean it!" Sano growled pulled it back, ready to make good his promise, before his mother's harsh voice cut in-

"Stop it! The both of you," Kotone slapped her hands against her sides fumingly, jaded at the constant argumentative attitudes of her sons. To her second eldest son, she shook her head and told him, "Yagi, stop being an instigator." Then to her youngest, "And Sano, stop threatening to strike people all the time!"

They looked down at the carpet, part in shame of what they had done, mostly just from obedience, "Yes, Mother."

"Both of you behave for Mia's wedding, understand?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Good," Her face relaxed into a warm smile, "Now, you boys better use the manners I've taught you. You'll be influencing another in this house soon enough, you know."

Yagi rolled his eyes, "Yeah, Mom. We _know._"

Both sons knew very well what she meant when she said these words. Her face softened and she looked down at her swelled stomach and Sano's eyes trailed down with her. Right now, a child, a girl, was growing within her tummy. Sano looked back down to the ground. His younger sibling, the first he'd have, was on its way and by the looks of it would surely come soon.

Sano lowered the book and plopped back on the floor, crossing his legs and placing the volume on his lap again. Mia turned and left for some other room in the house as their mother slowly lowered herself and the extra weight within her to her velvet chair, humming a tune he knew well, as she sang it when she was happy or daydreaming. Yagi laid on the floor along side him, touching a toy solider Sano had left out earlier, and sighed, his thirteen year old mind already bored.

Sano turned the well kept white pages with wonderfully crafted illustrations in the quickly fleeing silence as he felt, once more, Yagi yank at a strand of hair on his head.

"Stop it, you pest," Sano weakly punched at the hand, "And if you think about touching me again, you will suffer."

"Is that so?" Yagi blinked, playfully goading again, "I would like to see what 'suffering' you have in mind little bro."

Yagi loved to belittle him, with the knowledge that the eight year old couldn't out-muscle, out-run, or out-curse him. Sano had a high vocabulary and a high intelligence but that hardly helped anymore with his older brother, who actually was smarter than he acted.

"Oh, stuff it!" Sano covered his scalp with his arms, "Be quiet until Mia comes back."

"Come on, San-"

"Yagi, your brother is right ," Kotone nodded as her son finally quieted down. She hummed a tune to her pregnant belly and smiled all the more as she swayed in her chair.

They stayed that way for a while, the song slowly soothing Yagi's head into drooping low, and Sano reading and moving his head to the slow beat, before the front door lock clicked and the heavy front door opened, "Hey."

"In here, Ayro," Kotone nodded as footsteps could be heard walking heavily on the hard wood toward them.

Her second child's, and first daughter's, fiancée and, very soon, husband entered and stopped in the doorway. His elbow leaned into the door frame as he angled his body to look over all the faces, then his eyes focused on Kotone.

"Where is Mia?" The man smiled and pointed down the hallway, "Upstairs?"

"You can go outside and wait with the others, Aryo. She'll be ready soon." Kotone tilted her head, a very small smile on her lips, "I would hate to have you see her before the ceremony. It's bad luck, you know."

Aryo shrugged faintly and turned his head to the floor, "What up, little kiddies?"

"Nothing much," Yagi yawned and dismally pulled at the red string in the carpet, "Nothing much at all."

Sano ran small fingers through the dark strands of his hair and continued reading, not looking up at all.

Ayro sniffed, before his eyes trailed the ceiling one last time, clearly thinking about looking for Mia, before he dutifully nodded towards Kotone, "Alright, then, I'm leaving."

And as he had said, he turned and his heavy foots falls lead through the front entry and past the click of the door closing shut.

When the slam of the front door echoed through the halls, Kotone leaned forward with a lopsided face at her smallest child.

"You can be more agreeable Sano." Kotone turned her chin slightly, wavy strands of black hair shifting and falling like a waterfall over her left eye, "I know you don't like him, but he is what Mialyn chose, so you must bear it."

"I will bear it better once they're gone," Sano wiped at his thin slanted eyes, a pout over his mouth, "I don't want to see his face anymore. Not ever again."

"I know you'll miss Mia," Kotone nodded slowly, understanding, "I'll miss her too."

"Yeah…" Sano turned the page and sighed at the sound of his sister coming down the stairs. It was starting.

* * *

><p>The ceremony took hours, not to mention the reception. Sano replaced the volume on his father's shelf in the living room, the lamp in the corner illuminating the room in a soft orange, with the night crickets' broken song drifting in through the open window.<p>

Mia had already packed the night before, now it was a matter of transporting the boxes to their, Aryo and Mia's, shared cottage away from them. But, that would wait to morning. Now, Mia was saying goodbye before leaving, hugging their mother who was brushing tears out of her eyes again.

Sano peeked out of the corner of his eye at his sister, telling himself that when she hugged him goodbye, he wouldn't hug back.

Kotone closed her eyes and smiled wide, "It's too bad Letalis and your father couldn't be here."

Mia frowned lightly, "Yeah, I really wanted Letalis here, but what can you do?"

She slowly released the hug then Mia's face flashed like she remembered something, "Oh."

She smacked Yagi back to life from where he snoozed on the couch, their mother shaking her head at it, and turned with an apologetic smile to Sano, "I have something to say to Yagi and Mother here, Sano. I don't want you to hear. I'm sorry, but could you-…?"

"I know," Sano groaned lightly and turned to the doorway that led to the stairs, "I'm the youngest, so many of the things are not for my ears, but Mother, please promise me that when Gem is born I won't have to go upstairs every time Mia has something to say?"

"Promise," Kotone smiled warmly, the bottom of her eyelids crinkling, and flicked her wrist gently, "Now go, my child."

Sano obediently, like so many other times he had, headed to the upper floors where their bedrooms and other storage areas were located above. They always were so nervous about him hearing what they said, even when he never dared disobey and eavesdrop, that they would talk in low whispers when they were unsure he was truly in bed. In turn, their hushed voices made him nervous every time.

So, this time, he made plenty of noise in steeping to let them know he was away as he strolled right along to his own room. When he got there, he bumped the door open with one foot and waltzed in, carelessly leaving the white painted bedroom door open behind him.

It gave him comfort to at least hear them, though he couldn't tell what they said, as their voices drifted through the wood of the house in mutters. Sometimes, he noticed, Mia and Yagi were angry when they spoke. Other times, it was just plain and unemotional, detached sounding. No matter what though, he always knew what they were talking about. Or at least, he had a fair guess.

The only topics that were too grave to mention in front of him were about their eldest brother, Letalis, at least that is how it was nowadays, or, like it has always been, about their father.

Letalis was nineteen now, and since he was seventeen, had been a loyal Yevonite solider in Bevelle. They haven't seen Letalis for two years, though he sent a letter once a month, and of course this saddened all of them. Sano didn't know why they didn't mention Letalis in front of him much anymore. Probably since they worried that he'd miss him even more when he visited even less.

Yagi's voice rose below but it was still so muffled. Yagi hated it. He and Letalis were so close, and without a thought, Letalis left for the recruiter. Sano was also close to his eldest brother, but was far more mature in handling the 'abandonment.' In Sano's opinion, it should've been Yagi that they avoided to mention their eldest brother too, and not himself since he was young.

"I don't care about him!" Yagi screamed loud enough for his voice to reach Sano's ears, then was once again incoherent. The boy stiffened, then slowly relaxed the tension in his thin body, before slowly crossing his bedroom to his bed from where he had been standing by his dresser. It probably wasn't Letalis they were talking about, with Yagi's heated comment, which only left one other person…

Sano climbed over the softness, loose and unmade blankets threatening to fall underneath his scrambling feet and pull him down. Once he overcame the obstacle, he sunk into his bed with a dull plop. He thoroughly buried his head into the large plush pillow before he even bothered to cover himself in the heavy comforter. Once settled, his small chest barely visible under the thick edge of the blanket, he sighed deeply and with a lot more emotion than a boy at his age should have.

_Today has been such a slow and wretched day, after all, _he mentally moaned.

Why did he have to be alone upstairs? He was older now, already eight, wasn't he mature enough to handle anything that was said about his father? He was surely old enough to handle it by now, right? He wasn't the baby anymore, after all, Gem was going to be here in two months time!

_That's right! _Sano excitedly declared in his mind, a determined face spreading over his features as he rose to sitting position, _I'm __**not **__a baby! I have every right to know! _

Throwing the covers aside and jumping down, he rushed out of his room before skidding to a stop in the hallway to creep slowly and hopefully silently down it. He descended the stairs halfway and peeked through the 'bars' of the stair banister, his heart beating like a drum in his chest.

His ribs ached as he slowed his breathing to near none. He wasn't one to eavesdrop often, and the tension and excitement got to his head, making it feel light. He barely smiled, victoriously, as he saw the backs of his siblings' bodies and his mother's side from the stairs through the family room's archway, unaware of his attentive eyes.

Sano pricked his ears to listen, the conversation zooming into his hearing as he could make out all their words clearly for once.

"Come on! Why should we go see him?" Yagi threw his hands in the air, "Why should we?"

"He's our father, but you don't have to see him if you don't want to." Mia huffed and held her head high, bitterly crossing her arms under her chest as she did so, "He wrote that he only wanted to see Sano, and Gem when she was born anyways…"

"I really don't appreciate you reading my mail, Mialyn," His mother's firm scolding voice cut through the air, but Mia seemed unaffected by it as she glared daggers at Yagi staring defiantly back at her.

"Why couldn't he come see Sano when he knocked up Mom?" Yagi retorted and with a gesture of his head, motioned at Kotone and Gem growing inside their mother's stomach.

"Yagi!" Kotone shook her head and her face turned slightly pink, her hand lightly landing on her round stomach as if shielding the young one's ears within already. Kotone started to scold again, "I don't think that's appropriate fo-!"

"But Mom, it's true!" Yagi interrupted with a loud crack in his thirteen year old throat, "He wrote us, like, what? Once? And that was only to ask you to go all the way to Bevelle to see him and 'talk' or whatever and whoop de doo, Gemmie is on the way." Yagi crossed his arms, "It's stupid! He even wrote you to leave us behind. That he didn't want to see us!"

"Yagi, I-" Kotone rubbed her stomach as she obviously searched her mind for something to say, "That isn't what he intended or meant, Yagi, please don't be difficult. He's a solider, that's the only reason he can't see us often."

"Often? More like never Mom! Sano is eight and he never even seen the bastard once!" Yagi stood straighter to try and match the height of his older sister and his mother, "Mom, you have to know its ridiculous. There are tons of kids with soldiers for dads and they at least get to see them for _some _of the holidays! If you ask me, he just doesn't care."

Mia stepped in as their mother reeled her head back, slightly in shock, and yelled, "Yagi, don't upset Mom now!"

"I mean it!" Yagi, in a fit, plopped himself down on the floor like it would cement his words in, "If he wants to see Sano, fine! I just won't let him go!"

Mia stomped her foot on her younger brother's hand, "That's not your choice! It's Sano's. Don't act like you have a say in this!"

"Why don't I?" Yagi rubbed his hand and screamed, "I'm a part of this family!"

"If it was you Dad wanted to see, Sano wouldn't even try to stop you ," Mia pointed out and venomously narrowed her grey eyes, "So I say let him choose. If Sano doesn't want to see Dad, then that's a different story. But, it's still his choice and not your's."

There was a passing moment of tense silence, Sano holding his breath with fear that he would be detected, before their mother broke the glares her older children were locked in to say softly-

"I think Mia's right, sweety," Kotone looked down at her son, her eyes slightly sad but understanding nonetheless, "Sano has the right to choose…he's not a baby anymore."

"I know," Yagi frowned, and then his shoulders twitched in a silent sniff, and his mouth opened up to a smirk, "He acts so much older, doesn't he?"

"Acting older doesn't make you older," Mia shook her finger, then her eyelids hooded, and she shook her head instead, "No, never mind, Mom, let's not let him go...yet. Bevelle is such a long way away anyways."

"He'll go," Kotone leaned and, like it was the only thing giving her comfort, gently rubbed her stomach, "But only after Gem is born. Then, Mia, I want you to take them both to Bevelle to meet him, is that fine?"

"You're the boss, Mom." Mia smiled, "You're the boss."

"Alright," Kotone closed her eyes and leaned forward to stare at the life down through her skin, "Two months from now."

Sano slowly crawled back up the wood steps and snuck back into his room once more. Something was tingling inside him, and he couldn't tell if it was excitement or fear.

Their father was never around. A Yevon solider, he was only around for a short time, and when he leaves, according to Yagi, another child was born. Seven months ago, a letter came for Kotone and she left for Bevelle, leaving her children behind with a friend as the letter instructed. She came back, three long weeks later, and Gem was on the way with no news of their father that their mother would share with them.

The only thing that Sano shared with the man at all was appearances, that was of course being if Yagi wasn't lying, and abnormal height, which at eight nearly reached Yagi. Although Sano inherited his mother's terribly tilted eyes, the pinched squint apparently came from his father. His father, like his mother, had black hair, but unlike his mother, who had light brown skin, he had a waxy complexion, which Sano inherited along with his intellect too. But since he had never seen the man, and there was no pictures around, he could never verify these facts and could only believe them since it was what his family told him.

He had no idea what their father even looked like, and it never dawned on him, even if it was the other half of him, that he'd ever meet the man.

One thing was for sure as he once more laid his head into the fluffy soft pillow, he would meet this man one way or another. A strange sense of uncontrollable destiny within him telling him so.

* * *

><p>"Come on!" Yagi ran ahead on the dirt path that led down the to the Moonflow, and looked over his shoulders at the thin shadow that scowled under the noon-day sun filtering down through the high canopy trees.<p>

Leafy green was blotched over his face, some specks of white occasionally flashing across his frown, to accent the look of concentration he possessed as he ran. His sandaled feet even raised up little clouds of dirt, but he still was no where near catching up with his older brother. Yagi rolled his eyes and came to a skidding halt, his hand spinning through the air hurriedly, "Come on, Sano! Someone with such long legs should run faster than that, right?"

"You have long legs too!" Sano puffed up beside his brother, his said long legs slowing to a dragging-foot pace, "Besides, I don't have muscles like you do!"

"Get some," Yagi jerked his chin before closing his eyes and jabbing a thumb to his chest with a wide smirk, "If you want to be a Blitzballer…"

"**You** want to be a Blitzballer," Sano snapped, his thin, slanted eyes contracted into annoyed slits, "I don't."

"Why not? Beats being a solider, don't it?" Yagi slowed his pace for her brother's sake, but continued to the Flow, a more easy pace now that it was in view through the slender and winding trees. With sudden wide and disbelieving eyes, Yagi gasped at his brother's silence, "Don't tell me you want to be a solider?"

"I don't know, I never tried that," Sano shrugged and reluctantly followed after him. They were going to play in the water, for the last time before the short cold season seized the area for the next two months. His eyes glided from the gentle water ahead to his brother's confident stride, and following the line of his body, to his high-held chin and silently smirking face.

Yagi hated the Yevon Army because they 'took' so much from their family. In Sano eyes, which was correct by all means, they took nothing from them but precious time from Letalis, oh and, their father, he guessed. But, only because it was important.

Sin was rampaging all over the coasts of Spira, Lord Braska's Ten Year Calm not due for another six years from this point, so it only made sense to his young mind that soldiers were needed. It would be a lie though, to say that he didn't want Letalis back anyways, and their father too.

Because despite the fact that he was going to go play with Yagi, and as a result less concerned with it, he still had that creeping sense of uncontrolled fate closing on him. A huge event, that which would effect him greatly, was drawing nearer. Even as an eight year old, he could sense it's ominous presence lurking closely, and anticipated it excitedly, because unlike what Yagi wanted, he really did wish to see their father.

This had been proven throughout the days since he had eavesdropped as he found himself wondering a few things while he went through his daily routine. Stupid things, he knew, but he wondered about them just the same. For example, when he was eating breakfast he wondered if his father liked the kind of cereal he was eating, or drank coffee like Yagi and Mia. He distantly thought about whether or not he would like to do puzzles, as Sano did very much.

He didn't tell anybody of course, knowing how they'd be received (with contempt for sure from his siblings) and kept his small mouth sealed shut. Easy enough for him, since there was many things he didn't like sharing with anybody, including his family.

Yagi, after a while of apparent thinking, looked out of the corner of his slight downward slanted eyes at his brother trotting beside him, "I'm starting to think you don't like Blitzball…"

"I like watching it," Sano answered him, his eyes cautiously observing his brother, who was a Blitzball fanatic to a point of obsession. Finding it safe enough ground, though wobbly, Sano continued more boldly and truthfully, "But it's too tiring to follow after the ball in the water. And the ball's too big."

"Says you, you're just not trying hard enough. Blitzball is the greatest." Yagi lifted his head proudly, and Sano could see he was thinking about how easy the game was to him and how all the skills came naturally. Sano frowned lightly. His brother was a show-off, and it got on his nerves sometimes.

When they finally reached the water's edge, Yagi stopped and glanced over the calm surface, his brows pressing down into his eyes slowly, before looking over at his sibling, "Hey, Sano, you have good eyes, can you see Pal?"

"Yeah, over there," Sano smirked smugly, knowing that this was something that he had over his brother. He pointed down into the water and revealed Yagi's Hypello friend, who stared up at them from under the shimmering surface, hidden almost seamlessly by the natural aquatic camouflage of his race. His odd shaped head rose slowly after Sano's pointing.

"Yesh?"

"Yo!" Yagi laughed loud and carefree before he waved at his friend and jumped far out into the water. Shaking his water heavy head, spreading flecks of water everywhere, Yagi spat water at the Hypello youth and smiled wide, "What's up?"

"Noshing much Yahgi," Pal blink his large eyes and turned his blue head sluggishly up to the shore, "Sh~ano, how are yoo?"

"Fine," Sano's face twitched slightly, his mouth twisting to hold in a chuckle, " I'm fine."

It was…entertaining how the Hypellos pronounced his name.

"Come on, throw the ball," Yagi slapped the water's surface and motioned for the young Hypello to toss the Blitzball.

As lazy as the Hypellos were on land, they were, evidentially, wonderful swimmers because of the characteristics of their race. And though there is never enough Hypellos willing to go through the trouble of forming a team, another part of their race was being plain lazy and peaceful in attitude, Pal, and Yevon knows that's his actual name, loved the game and was going 'places' with Yagi in the sport.

Sano hugged his knees as he watched his brother 'practice' Blitzball. It really was more of splashing and hooting, but they did actually play the game, enough to keep Sano's attention anyway.

Time passed slowly as Sano watched, he soon became bored when Yagi and Pal started to argue about a call. Especially since Pal took a whole minute longer to say something with his slow slurring accent then one who was having a heated argument would usually use.

Hardly amusing, Sano thought, before he sighed and drifted off to sleep.

_**Hey, are you up big brother?**_

"_Gem?" Sano turned his head and saw her standing in his partly open doorway, dark, nightly shadows lining the hallway behind her. She had a blanket in one hand, and was rubbing her eyes with her other. He was about to sit up as he asked, "What are you doing up?"_

**I can't sleep**_, she rubbed her eyes more, black tendrils of hair in her face like his usually was. It drove their mom nuts. _**Can I sleep with you?**

"_Oh, yeah, you can." He scooted to the side and she clamored into his bed as fast as she could and nestled up to his side. _

**I'm sorry I'm always bothering you. I just like you better than everyone else.**

"_Even Mom?" Sano could feel the warmth beside him. She looked just like him, taking on all their features from their parents that he had, and as she saw fit to remind him, she loved him more than anyone else. _

**Even Mom. I love you Sano.**

"_Oh, I love you too Gem." Sano smiled, she was the closest thing to him. She thought he was cooler than their other brothers, even the ever laid back Yagi and fast Letalis didn't seem as cool as he, she said once. They played together all the time and the rest of their family just simply smiled when they saw how close they were. Almost like twins. _

**I'm glad I was born.**

"_What a weird thing to say." Sano crinkled his nose, smiling and squinting into the darkness to look down at the top of her round head. How old was she now? _Wait, he couldn't remember her as a baby…

**I'm not going to leave you, and you won't leave me, right?**

Oh, this was a dream.

_"Oh, no, I never will." Sano shook his head into the incredible warmth underneath his skull, happy anyways, even if it was a dream. He found he didn't want to wake up. It was so pleasant and he just knew it would come true. He'd make it that way when he woke up, he decided firmly. _

_Formulating the perfect plan, he smiled wider, grinning happily. _

_Gem being born would fix everything. He'd stop feeling so lonely. He'd be the perfect brother for her, and she'd love him, and he wouldn't have to have any secrets anymore that he couldn't share. It would be just between her and him though. Something to giggle about when Mommy wasn't looking. _

**We'll see Dad together, won't we?**

"_Yeah, I'll take you there." He patted her small skinny shoulder and felt nothing under his finger tips. He smiled at her round face and laughed lightly, quietly since it was nighttime in the house, and tilted his head into the dream pillow, "When you're born that is."_

**Oh, that's good**_. After a while she looked up at him, her slanted brown-black eyes opening wider, _**When will I be born?**

_He laughed a little louder, overfilling with a happiness he couldn't find anymore in real life, "You mean you don't know?"_

**Do you?**

"_Two months." Sano held up his fingers for her to see, "That's what Mommy says."_

**What if something goes wrong?**

_What are you talking about?" Sano, panic rising, sat up in his bed, "Gemmie don't talk like that. Nothing can go wrong. It's not possible."_

**Are you sure?**

"_Of course I'm sure!" Sano face twitched, his eyes narrowing, "Gemmie, stop talking like that. I don't like your tone…"_

_He used the words that Kotone employed in her scolding when any one of the siblings talked back to her to add to his point. He really didn't like what she was saying._

**Aren't you just a know-it-all.** _Gem narrowed her eyes back at him and contemptuously repeated what a girl from his class at school said. _

"_Gemmie, shut up!" He practically shouted what he had then, only it was at his sister. The sister he wanted so badly. But...not like this._

**Smarty-pants. **

"_Stop it!" Sano felt his face burn. He didn't like to be called all those names. It wasn't a compliment to his intelligence, which he took pride in, but a direct insult for his only strength. It was easy to say he detested it, which is why he had no friends at school and he disliked everyone there. Because they were all ignorant enough to say that he was nothing more than a 'know-it-all' and a 'Mommy's boy' or 'bratty'._

**Brat! Spoiled! Gawky freak! **_Gem incorporated some insults that the older kids used on him too, and rolled joyfully on her stomach, her head turning to look at him through the sides of her sharp eyes_. **Since you are such a know-it-all, I bet you are so sure I'm not going to leave you! Maybe I won't ever be born!**

"_That's impossible!" Sano shouted back, smiling because he knew he was right, "You're already in Mommy's tummy. You have to be born now."_

**Says you.**

Sano hated those two words put together. Yagi used it when he really was wrong, and the other kid's used it to say he was wrong, whether he was right or not, and always it couldn't be proven.

**I won't be born…**

_Sano frowned and shouted, "Shut up!" Before shaking himself, his hands grabbing his dream head. He didn't like this dream anymore. He wanted to wake up. _

"Mmn," Sano awoke in the warmth of his sister's lap, the world more orange than when he had fell asleep, and his brother was drying out beside him on the shore. Pal was nowhere to be seen, having already gone home.

Mia slowly rubbed his head as he blinked the setting sun out of his eyes, before he lifted himself up on his elbow to rub his face

"Sano?" Mia leaned her head down, "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

Mia visited their mother and helped her around with the pregnancy, which was drawing closer to it's end as the days went on. For four days already, his sister had been married, but she still practically lived with them. Ayro didn't like that, but Sano found some satisfaction in the fact that Mia choose their mother over that man.

"No, I woke up on my own," Sano assured groggily before he gave his shoulders a shake. Looking back at her sunset tinged face, he asked slowly, "Hey, sister?"

"Hmm?"

"Gem will be born soon…right?" Sano stared into his sister's eyes, and without meaning too, his brows arched in concern.

Mia blinked then confusedly smiled, "Why do ask?"

Seeing her reaction, Sano set his face straight and shrugged lightly, "Uh, nothing, I just want to know…"

"Pretty soon." Mia swooped Sano up and placed him on her lap, snuggling her face by his moody one to force a small curl from the sides of his lips. She laughed and added, "Mom look's like she's going to pop, doesn't she?"

* * *

><p>"Mom, mail," Yagi, still damp from the game, let the door slam behind him noisily as he shuffled through the bills and letters and called for their mother through the giant house.<p>

"Give me," Mia demanded first and swiped the letters from his hands, giving him multiple paper cuts in the process.

"Ow! Hey!" Yagi closed his hands, before bringing one painful sting to his lips, speaking around it, "Wa-hut dah 'ell?"

Mia shuffled through the pile, before looked up suspiciously and sighing, "Yagi..."

"What?" Yagi rubbed his pant leg uncomfortably, shifting in his place, "What?"

"What are you hiding?" Mia held out her hand, insistently, and even after a few seconds would not drop it. In the overpowering aura of female dominance, Yagi caved in and handed the letter he had been hiding to his sister's hand.

She looked over the paper. Their father's long, spidery, black handwriting had their mother's beautiful name across the envelope. Mia ripped the top off and flung it aside, frowning as she did so.

"Shouldn't you give that to Mom?" Sano walked in from the opposite direction of the family room, his small hands cradling a big steaming cup of hot cocoa, "Mia?"

"Mom has a lot of stress, and she's delicate right now." Mia said and went along with screening her mother's mail, when it was from Letalis or their father, as she had been doing for the last trimester of their mother's pregnancy. As an afterthought, she scoffed, "All Dad knows how to do is bring bad news."

"What's it say?" Yagi leaned forward and attempted to read it over his sister's shoulder, receiving an annoyed swat in the face for it.

Mia's eyes read the words, starting with disinterest, but before too long, her brows furrowed and her eyes slowed in their scanning of the handwriting. Wetness pooled into her eyes as she stopped and chokingly fell to her knees.

"Mia?" Yagi was alarmed as he grabbed the letter from the floor, reading hurriedly and flinging it angrily to the side. He grasped his sister's shoulders and tried to quiet her, whispering, "Mia, shh! Mom's gonna hear."

"What was it?" Sano felt his throat tighten as he watched their mother, curious, enter behind Yagi from the living room, a gentle hand holding her stomach. Yagi didn't even see her and coldly bit-

"Letalis is dead. Sin got him."

**L.O.L. **

Sano had another 'bad' dream on the night after news of their elder brother's death. It was dark and cold that night, he remembered, and he was barely sleeping at all when he had it. And though he couldn't quite recall what it was that he dreamed exactly, he thrashed in his bed and cried.

"Good god, Sano, wake up!" Yagi slapped him across his round cheek, before, in a hurry, he roughly pushed him out of his bed and onto the floor, "Run down to the neighbors and get help!"

"Oh, no Gem!" Sano jerked his head up from the wood, seeing only one remnant of his nightmare, his poor little sister, before his brother gave him a strange look. It was not to last though as he hastily picked Sano up by his shoulder and started to shuffle him through his open bedroom door.

"Yes, yes! Go, or Mom's gonna die too." Yagi pushed Sano again with only long heave, screaming urgently, "Run!"

Sano felt his bare feet thump against the hallway floor, his head still stuffed with the dulling sense of sleep, and he confusedly ran to where Yagi pointed, his words tumbling in his small head and not making any sense. In his rush, his socks caught the edge of the first step down and he tripped down the stairs a ways, coming to a painful stop on his rear halfway down.

As he lifted his head from his bruised legs, he could see below into the living room through the banister that Mia was clutching their sobbing mother's shoulders and whispering to her. And something was wrong. Very wrong.

Blood, as undoubtedly it was by its horrid red color, was coming out of a place where it shouldn't of. Kotone's skirt was soaked in dark liquid, and she sobbed miserably into her daughter's shoulder. At the top of the stairs, Yagi yelled, "Run, Stupid!"

Sano ran again, understanding very little except the danger of the moment, and left Yagi with the towels that he brought from the bathroom and Mia comforting their mother.

The baby was gone, the doctor said much later as the long night came to an end. Kotone stayed in her room, mourning the loss of her first child, and soon her child in her womb suffered as well. It just could not survive her falling down the stairs. She lost it, in her dismay, and it nearly killed her too.

She was lucky to be alive, he said.

That brought no comfort to anyone. Sano cried. Right in the front room before the doctor left, he bent his head back and screamed through tears as he hadn't done in years. His siblings tried to stop him, console him, but he couldn't cease, not until his throat tore, and his voice became hoarse. But, even then, the tears seemed to never end.

Gem was his, in a way that he needed badly. She was going to be his friend, and he was going to be a big brother. He never wanted anything at all, not selfishly, but this unborn sibling was something he wanted, almost needed, now that people were leaving him for a world of their own. And Letalis took it from him, when he left forever for wherever he decided to go, keeping her for himself.

Kotone was so tired in the days that followed, after all the medication and the miscarriage itself, she didn't want to do much of anything more.

She had always lovingly carried her children, perfectly birthing strong babies. Never had she had to feel the loss of two. It made her suffer in ways unimaginable and she was prescribed pills for her depression that Mia forced her to swallow.

Sano stayed in the hallway outside his mother's room, never moving. Mia, and at times even Yagi, forced fed him and gave him blankets to sleep with, right in the hallway as he patiently waited for their loving mother to return back to health and normalcy. Mia was gone more than ever, working and arguing with her new husband, and Yagi stayed and did chores as best as he could.

Clothes were always wrinkled now, and food terrible, but Yagi attempted to do what he never had to do before. Things their mother did that he never realized was so hard.

"Stand up," Yagi threw a cloth at his younger brother, who rubbed his face with it dully, eyes unmoving from the bedroom door. Yagi sighed deeply and attempted one of his smirks, "You smell bad, little man."

"I'll take a bath," Sano nodded decisively, sparing a look down the hallway to the bathroom, then back at the door, then finally to his brother with wide eyes, "But tell me when Mom comes out, will you?"

"Yes, if mom does come out, I'll tell you for sure," Yagi turned his eyes to the door with a doubtful expression, one that Sano was sure he wasn't meant to see, then pointed forcefully to the bathroom, "Go, already."

But, as Sano stood, the bedroom door cracked open, and a tired voice slipped out from it, "Boys, is that you?"

Sano turned back so quickly his socked feet nearly slipped on the smooth hallway, and he instantly crashed into his mother's legs, wrapping his small arms tightly around them with a loud cry, "Mommy!"

Kotone rubbed his head gently, her face pale and drawn, but smiling nonetheless, "Come here, I need to talk to you…" Her greenish eyes rose from her youngest's head to Yagi, offering a renewed smile, "Come, come."

Yagi turned down the hall, his shoulders drooped and his eyes adverted to the floor, "Sorry mom, I have stuff on the stove…"

"Okay," Their mother sighed softly and looked kindly down at the boy gripping her legs for dear life, "Sano will tell you later, then…" With a weak push, she led her youngest into the bedroom and pulled him by his underarms onto the tall bed.

A while passed as Kotone slowly made her way to the other side. She achingly laid down and opened her arms for her son to lay in. Which, he did, gently since she seemed weak, tired, and very fragile, and waited for her to speak as he laid in her warmth.

"Sano?" Kotone rubbed his head once more, fingers lightly brushing through his fine black hair, "Listen carefully…"

Sano affirmed by nodding into her chest, "I'm listening…"

"Now," Kotone wearily blinked, "I want you to listen, more than ever. I want you to go with Mia and Yagi tomorrow."

Sano raised his head to look at her, his eyes slightly wide, and he sucked in a breath. His mother's voice was level, serious, and he asked hesitantly, "Where to?"

"To Bevelle," His mother closed her eyes sleepily into the pillow and took a heavy breath, one that seemed to take a lot of energy for her to do. She turned her head into the pillow and muttered, "Find your father…and tell him I need him here. Tell the neighbors to…check in on me while you're gone."

"Do you think he will?" Sano hugged his mother's body, his hands trembling from fear, "Do you think that our father really will come back…if we just ask him?"

She opened her eyes, honestly surprised, "Why wouldn't he, dear?"

"Yagi says…" Sano started, but his mother shook her head with gleaming eyes.

"He loves me…He'll come if you tell him I need him." She paused and closed her eyes once more, her narrow head shifting against the pillows to tilt slightly away from Sano and towards the window, where the cold winds of a coming winter was whistling outside the glass, and nearly whispered, "I need him soon…"

"I'll get him," Sano nodded again, and promised, "I will."

"My good baby." She muttered before her breath became heavy again.

They packed for the trip the next day, Yagi cussing and throwing things the entire time, but obediently did as his mother wished. Sano felt the same mix of emotions as the day when he listened to his family talk about his father, like fate was closing in around him, rekindle and heighten. It was a mix of excitement and fear. He wrung his hands in the front entry way with his sack by his feet.

When Yagi dragged Mia's bag to the front room, Sano knew that the time was nearing to leave. He swooped down and hoisted the bag onto his shoulders.

The sack, mostly holding his favorite books and a few necessities that his brother forced him to pack instead of toys he wanted to bring, was the only thing that anchored him to the floor when all he wanted to do was run out the door, across the porch and yard, and all the way to Bevelle. Their mother was looking worse that morning.

He gave the doorway one last anxious look as Mia came in with the mail, one last time for the next couple of weeks or days it will take to bring their father home.

Again, Mia's hands shook as she gripped an envelope with spidery handwriting. Her wide eyes closed to a near angry expression as she muttered viciously, "He just has impeccable timing."

Slowly, and hesitatingly, she dared to slip her slender fingers under the flap and open it. Her hands trembled against the letter's surface almost instantly. But, instead of tears, she was just the image of anger.

Yagi took it from her and look at it himself, again throwing it aside hatefully and offering words of harsh comfort to his sister. Sano looked at it, despised and abandoned on the floor, and dared to bend down to pick it up in his small hands.

It took him quite a bit of time to read, but he read the whole thing.

_Dear Kotone, _

_I know my last letter's few words of comfort are probably worth nothing. My most heartfelt condolences are unsatisfying even to me, much less how much solace you can find in them. He was my son too, and I feel his empty presence looming over me. What could I have done different? These days have been passing more slowly, but I promise that things are going change soon, like how you always wanted. But, first, I bring a bit more of unpleasant news, as much as it pains me to deliver them to you._

_I do want to see Sano, I do more than anything, however, I cannot see him as soon as I first expected to. I assure you that this isn't out any lack of love or consideration. I still have that for all of you, as much as you knew it was, from before. That hasn't changed. And, I feel terrible, not being able to see him after all this time, but I promise the things we've always wanted to be different will finally change. I have finally found a way to make everything right!_

_At the moment, I am not permitted to tell you even where I'm writing from, and if you come to me, I will not be there. For the next two years, I will be gone, and am sorry to say that if you need any help from me with our eldest son's death, in person, I can not help you. But, I will be there, as I've always have, with every piece of my mind and soul. That will always be yours, remember that. I pray you will be strong and depend on our remaining children for support since I can not be there for you in body. Even in the pain that I'm certain you are suffering through, because I know you are a wonderful loving mother, I hope you remember the other children that we share and the overflowing love and dependency that I'm sure they have for you. As I do._

_Kotone, you know I don't want to be away from you. I never did. I want to share that love and warmth with you for eternity and more. But, my love, by some cruel twist of fate I have done what I've always been forced to do, and I could not change that, even for you. But, I promise, this time, I've finally found a way to break my shackles. After the next two years, I swear, I will do nothing but spend time with you and the kids. _

_If it is of any help, in the meantime, I will leave a comfortable home, though smaller than the nest we have made in the Moonflow, in Bevelle for you and the children to wait for me. If I survive this last mission, my beloved, I will return for good to you forever. I promise I'll never leave again and we'll be happy. Like was always dreamed of being. _

_All my love, _

_Your Husband_

At the final words, Sano realized something that never came to him before. He did not know his father's first name, and besides the last name he left him, he knew absolutely nothing about the man at all.

"I didn't know…" Sano mumbled.

Yagi crossed his arms and stared down, "Knew what?"

"Well, that he loved Mom so much," Sano lightly touched the words with his thumb, a crease forming in the paper trailing after it. They all seemed nice, gushy even, though it didn't clearly have any good news. But, something about it wasn't that bad. Sano looked up at his brother, his fingers still pressing against the handwritten words, "You always painted him as rather heartless."

"He is!" Yagi snapped and snatched the letter from Sano's hands, and much to his horror, tore it clean in half.

When Sano screamed, as much to his surprise as his older brother's, Mia's eyes shot from the floor to the thirteen-year-old. "Yagi! What do you think you're doing?!"

"Does he even _realize _what he does to Mom?" Yagi continued to tear viciously at the paper, "Does he even _care_?"

Mia flew at the pieces but they were quickly reduced to even smaller porportions, "Stop it!"

"No! I wish he was already dead!" Yagi turned and stomped his way into the family room. Once there, and with another scream from Sano, he hurled the pieces into the living room's fireplace without another thought.

Sano stared wide eyed as the sounds of crackling and popping reached his ears. He could see the words burning and folding, rolling into black charred pieces to never be read again. His chest lurched up into his throat and he dove on his knees for the paper.

"Yagi, you idiot!" Sano cried and his small hand flew into the licking flames and grasped the blackened pieces, only successfully fishing out one piece before pain made him withdraw.

"Sano!" Mia grabbed his wrists and pulled it away, kissing his reddening fists. "Are you crazy?"

"Yagi, mother needed it! Even if it was lies, she needed it!" Sano reasoned, mad-faced, and uncurled his burnt hands, looking hopelessly at his ashy palm, "She needed it…"

_I want to see Sano, how-_

Sano ripped at the 'how' and shoved the piece in his pocket. With determination, he stood up and stared at his older brother, "We have to tell mother."

"It would kill her." Yagi punched Sano's arm hard before gripping it tight in his hand, "We keep this silent, got it!?"

"No! It will kill her to leave her and then bring no hope for her," Sano jerked his arm out of his brother's hand and turned to the archway towards the stairs, his eyes fierce, "I'm going to tell her, the _exact_ words of father's letter!"

"What? That he's not coming home? That he's doing something that he can't talk about, _again_? No, don't be a little fool-" Yagi crossed his arms again and frowned deeper as his little brother sent him a stare that took his words away. It was powerful, way more severe than should naturally belong on a round childish face, and yet staring somehow down at his taller brother just the same.

Sano squinted hard when Yagi didn't continue, almost satisfied at his brother's silence. "I'm going to say that mother needs to depend on us and about the home in Bevelle. And all the love and all that stuff father said."

"No, it's lies," Yagi flinched at the evil glare his brother gave him and shook his head, "Damnit, do what you want!"

"I will."

* * *

><p>Winter had passed, Sano's ninth birthday going by almost unnoticed in the generally subdued mood of the house, he spending it by stroking the paper that was once part of his father's letter. Now, two and a half weeks after that, the first rainfall of the year, cruelly ironic, pattered against the roof on this horrible, terrible, wretched day.<p>

Sano piercingly wept into his black clad knees. Oh, why did he do it? Why did he have to tell her?

Footsteps drew quickly closer, almost urgent, before they stopped abruptly at the dining room door. Sano peeked through water heavy eyes, and saw a blurry outline of wet shoes, and loose black pants.

Yagi bent to his knees, finally finding his little brother after he ran away from the Sending outside, and sighed. Sano couldn't stand to see the lady dancing, the ghostly lights floating up and away from him forever, leaving him, from the case wrapped in flowers and pinkish-red ribbon that Mia said Mommy was in.

His older brother, after a long time of doing nothing, patted the little head and choked softly, "Hey Bro, don't cry."

"Why shouldn't I?" He shot up, his face red, and screamed through the streams running down his cheeks, "Mommy's dead and it's my fault!"

"No, it wasn't," Yagi shook the thin shoulders under his palms, "Think, you know how it works! Words don't kill people, Sano, but sickness can. She was sick and weak way before you even told her anything, remember? Mom was happy for a little bit, she just- couldn't go on anymore. Her body just quit on her like that cat we had, remember-"

"It was not like that stupid cat!" Sano deafeningly screamed, his eyes mean and hateful slits. His brother flinched, before visibly swallowing.

"Why?" Sano chokingly coughed out, and pinched his eyes lids up. His brows curled together ,a deep rut forming between them, and he demanded to know, "Why couldn't she just stay with us?"

Yagi's face twitched, his eyes reddening and watering, "She just stopped taking her medicine, it wasn't anybody's fault."

After some time, he reached for his brother's small curled fist, saying quietly, "Come on, Mia says we can live with her."

"Aryo said he doesn't want us!" Sano squirmed away from his brother's grip, and stood stiffly straight in his black funeral clothes. Sano wrapped his arms around himself, unable to stand someone else touching him right now, but needing the close comfort of it. He cried out, "You heard him say it. I hate him and he hates me! I want to stay here!"

"We don't have any other choice!" Yagi pulled himself up and crossed his arms, unable to fully control the situation, "Where do you suggest we go to?"

"We can stay with your friend!" Sano shrunk when his brother bent down and grabbed at his arm, before trying to yank free again, his brother's grip only tightening around his limb. Sano looked desperately up at his elder brother's face, his head shaking, "We can't go with Aryo!"

Yagi started, "Sano-"

"You're not going to," Aryo himself, dressed in funeral black, was standing in the door way watching them with predatory eyes. Yagi sneered at him and his grip tightened again, this time only protectively, before he pushed Sano behind him and further into the corner of the dining room he was hiding in.

"What do you want?"

"Well," Aryo scratched the back of his neck and chuckled, "I don't know how to say this Kiddies, but you're not staying with your Sissy like you planned too."

"Why not?" Sano ducked behind his brother, fear gripping his throat, and stared at Aryo, "Why?"

"You're right about what you said earlier, Sano. I don't want you," Aryo bit out and frowned, "And I hate your brother and his mouth even more. Why would I want to take care of you?"

"You can't stop Mia from caring about us," Yagi held out his arm and shielded Sano behind it, "It's not about you. We're a family and she wants to take care of us."

"Well, not if you two ran away." Aryo seemed just a bit more satisfied as Yagi stiffened and Sano was horrorstruck with the implications. The man tilted his head sideways, "She wouldn't have a choice would she? She couldn't do a thing, maybe look for you for a while, but not much more."

"Damn you," Yagi hissed and released Sano from his grasp to run forward and throw his arm into the man's face. Aryo grunted and took a step away, rubbing his jaw, and eyes flaring at the surprising hit from the thirteen year old. Yagi smiled in return, he hadn't been throwing a Blitzball through water for nothing, and it gave him muscles that Sano lacked.

"I'm surprised Mia likes you brats at all." Aryo spat on the floor, before grabbing Yagi's shoulder and shoving him into the table that centered the room with a loud crash. With a wince, Yagi glared as Aryo smiled and drawled, "But, the last place she'd expect you two is in Bevelle. Especially since Yagi is going to the recruiters and little Sano here a little worthless orphanage."

"What?" Yagi stiffly pushed his hurting back off of the table and glared, "You can't force someone to be a solider-!"

"You can if you pay the right people." Aryo smirked, victoriously, "And orphanages would do anything for a handful of gil, even take in a kid and not let him go."

"Bastard!" Yagi flew forward again, but this time was caught in the man's arms. He wiggled and kicked, then realizing he wasn't getting free, he turned and yelled at his brother, "Sano! Go get Mia!"

Sano swallowed the lump in his throat, his knees shaking.

"GO!"

"O-okay!" He lurched forward and under Aryo's reaching arm. Yagi saw his chance and punched at his face again. Aryo backhanded the boy and Yagi fell to the floor, cursing, and kicking out with he legs to trip Aryo as he turned back to Sano, who was already through the kitchen and running to the back door, where the funeral was still being held. As Aryo rose to get up, Yagi lurched forward and wrapped his arms around the man's legs to pin him down.

Sano almost made it to the backdoor, his eyes locked on it, unseeing to anything else. Something stepped into his way, large and dark, and his face ran into something hard before he could stop. He skidded back onto the floor and landed flat on his back from the shock of the impact, before he looked up, wide-eyed and fearful, at the men overlooking him.

"This him?" The man he ran into pointed chipped nails at him, "Aryo?"

"That's him," Aryo dragged a struggling Yagi behind him, "This is the other one. Try to be quiet and take them out the front door."

"Okay," He reached out for Sano but the boy jumped and bit into his meaty hand. He reeled away yowling and grasping his bloody fingers and called to the men behind him to act.

A fist crashed into his head and Sano saw stars as he hit the hard floor.

"MIA!" He screamed before a hand, Aryo's, clamped over his mouth.

"Damnit, Let me go!" Yagi's voice was a farther distance away than before, "SANO! When you get older, join the Yevon Army and look for me! They won't get away with this!"

Aryo removed his hand and brought up the other one, holding Sano down with his knee.

"I-I will!" Sano yelled toward the hallway as a white cloth covered his mouth and nose. He breathed in the strange smell on the cloth and he felt sleepy.

"Come get him," Aryo released him. Sano was too tired to run.

"Yes," The rough voice muddled into nothing slowly.


	3. Until You Can Deal With It

**~By Stormytitan**

**Uno (Ormi) again! Yeah! :D (And if you're thinkin' this story is downright depressin'. I'm asking you...please stay with it...)**

* * *

><p>He slowly dared to open his incredibly sore eyes, only for them to be met with a sad, dark stone roof high above him. It was curved, as if it was only a small section of a dome, and unfamilar. He blinked his large eyes, typical on a child his small single-digit age, and coughed harshly, the sound broken and dry as his throat was.<p>

Above all other discomforts (the itchiness of what he laid on, the chill surrounding him, the wetness sticking to him) there was an immense pain in his back and in his head that instantly made tears form in his bleak eyes, and his chest start to repeatedly heave with hiccupping cries.

It was just...confusion

It filled his tiny uncomprehending mind to the brim. Never had he woke to a morning with such pain, no recollection of any sort, with no bright cheery lights to greet him, and naturally, he felt a rising panic as a result.

"W-Where's am I?" Uno's tear-etched voice echoed in the pitiless silence that enveloped him. Through the pain, he caught a slight dripping sound, and he turned his head to look at where he thought he heard it, only to hear it directly below him. He clutched the pain in his head and turned achingly to his side, only to discover that the dripping was blood seeping through the straw cot he laid on.

The sight of the red liquid, whether it was his or not, made him jerk with a hoarse cry straight up into a sitting position. Hot pain shot through his entire middle and he doubled over his thick scraped-up knees, quickly wrapping chunky arms around himself to desperately try and literally 'hold' himself together.

He took a few hyperventilating breaths before screwing his eyes tightly, and roughly screamed into the space between his knees, "Where's am I!?"

The darkness of the room answered with a low and heartless, "Shut up."

Uno lifted his head and his dense, black eyes searched everywhere, past the dark stones and dim wall hangings, and into the shadows to find what had spoke to him so viciously. His watery eyes and shaking shoulders begged for comfort, but none could be found in the unforgiving room.

At some length, an old hunched over woman spat, "Sit still," and limped out of the curtain of shadows from the far side of the room.

The boy obediently complied and forced himself to stop moving as much as possible. But, between pain and his hard swallowed cries, his body still winced with every breath he took. His eyes found and met the crone's unpleasant face and focused on the harsh near whitish blue eyes hovering above the woman's hooked nose.

"What happened?" Uno's voice croaked, and he couldn't stop himself from scooting away from the glaring woman after sensing the sudden animosity that rose from her like a slithering snake, "Who are youse?"

"Don't ask questions," She gripped his soft arm with bony, hard, and cold fingers, which made Uno flinch greatly, and pulled his entire weight up with a surprising strength. He yelped, feeling like he was being kidnapped by a witch in that moment, and received a sound slap across his bubbly cheek and a long nail jabbed into the end of his round nose with enough force to push it in a little.

Fearfully focused on the ghoul-like hand, then slowly, to the accompany haggard face, Uno's eyes widened as the woman nastily grated, "Shut up and do as I tell you."

"Yes Ma'am!" Uno bit his plump lips, the faint taste of blood on his tongue. Salty tears streamed down his face as he watched the woman's every move with terror-filled carefulness. He held as still as possible again, considering he hurt already and didn't want to call on the old hag's wrath, and bit down on the inside of his lower lip to stop the words in his mouth.

The old woman first patted him down, causing Uno only a bit of nervousness, before she forcefully seized up the end of his hand-me-down and blood-stained shirt and yanked it to his head, exposing his belly.

"What are youse doing?" Uno pushed at the skeletal hands that pulled his shirt away from him and started to jerk at his pants. He twisted, terribly confused and thoroughly frightened, when a stinging pain, and a sharp smack, split through the still air.

"Don't move either!" The old prune commanded and added a second slap to his flabby back to seal in her point, and as a warning for him to obey. Pain radiated all over his heated body and it felt like it was sent down his spine, to spread outwards all along his back. He bawled out in agony and attempted to yank his fat wrist free from the wrinkled hag's grasp, screaming desperately, "AH! It hurts!"

"Helen, what are you doing?" A bright light overcame the shadows, from the far end of the room where the darkness seemed strongest, and Uno's tear streaked face looked to it and the soft voice like one would look to the kindness of an angel or a saint. The white-clad woman came in, walking with cautious, near dainty, steps, and furrowed her brows that showed true concern and how startled she was to find him this way.

"Stupid boy won't hold still," The prune hissed and slapped at his face again. Uno put a rusty red stained hand to his cheek and bit back his cry, staring, frozen in his place, at the old green and yellow robed woman again.

"He already is in a condition. Don't make it worse by beating him!" The nice lady drew closer, soft blue eyes shaking with emotion. Her eyes met Uno's, and all at once his knees weakly buckled underneath him, and he ended up on his rump on the cold floor.

The old woman, who still tightly clenched his hand, began to yank mercilessly on his arm, jolting his shoulder with more pain, when the soft angelic voice cut in once more-

"You can go now, Helen," The voice, though soft-spoken, was firm and demanded that the other woman listen, "I decided I won't need help. I shall take care of this boy."

The witch of a woman looked up and locked eyes with the kind lady, who unwavering, met the challenging glare. The kind woman nodded once, and flicked her wrist in a dismissive manner to the glowering woman with silvery eyes. The hag grunted, the sound very close to a snarl, and turned on a flaccid leg that didn't seem to obey her wishes. She quickly limped, jerking one side of her body with angry yanks as if she couldn't even be understanding to her own body, and headed straight for the doors that the nicer lady had stepped through. She looked over her bony hunched shoulder once to sneer back at Uno, before gripping the door with her knobby hand and slamming it behind her rear.

The room was engulfed in darkness once more as the doors resonated deafeningly in the witch's wake. Uno blinked the tears from his eyes, adjusting to the dimness again, and listened to the patient sigh that was hidden in the shadows.

"Are you alright now?" The lady in white came closer, unveiling herself from darkness and still seeming bright, glowing almost, even as there was barely any light in the room. With a gentle and warm hand she reached out to touch him, which he didn't shrink from, but she still approached just as delicately as if he had, whispering reassuringly, "I won't hurt you."

Her hand tenderly touched his head and patted his thick, matted hair. And as kind as the touch was, he still wanted to cry again.

"Whut happened to me? Why's do I hurt?" He whimpered and held onto his skin. He was only still covered by his underwear and the dampness of the building clung to him in a way that made him feel alone and uncared for. Confusion still swarmed his mind and he racked his thick skull for an explanation, only to be met with more pain.

And it just wasn't in his head. His chest cried and continued to do so, even as he couldn't remember why he had to feel so horrible. He looked around, hands rubbing up and down his arms to provide what little comfort he could for himself, and gulped down his fear, reminding himself to be brave. Still-

It was as if he had fallen into a cruel and awful world, his world being swallowed up in this obscure gloom, and nothing made sense anymore.

"You don't remember what happened to you?" The woman looked honestly surprised that he nodded dully, "You were shot, child! You tried to run from the soldiers and they shot you in the back. And when you kept running, you tumbled into a gully and split open your poor head. Why do you think you're bleeding as you are?"

Soldiers. To the word, a flood of memories overcame him all at once and the smell of his own blood made him nauseated. A wall within him all but crumbled, and tears flowed without any hesitation or restraint.

"Why?" Uno muttered and sniffed in heavily, his eyes questioning not only the woman in front of him but a greater power, "We's didn't do anything wrong! Why did this happen to us?"

"Shh," The woman swept his hair off his forehead, taking care for the line of shiny red on the left side. She angled her gently rounded chin and whispered, "You're okay now, dear, don't cry. I saw them and I stopped them. Know that I won't allow anyone to hurt you. You are safe." She finished softly.

Uno, tears still running down his cheeks, looked back at the milky-white and kind face, "Who's are youse? Where's am I?"

"You're in Bevelle, the Temple to be exact," She smiled and moved her hand from his head to his shoulder, her other hand lifting to her chest, "And, my name is Pino. You don't have to cry..."

Uno wiped at the tears roughly, distorting his features as he nearly scrubbed the salty water from his face. He took a few huge gulps of air before looking around at the dingy room, hardly believing it as beautiful, colorful Bevelle. Though he knew the Temple to be dark, when he visited it on Holy days, this place he was in was horrid, and unpleasant, evil, as he was trapped inside the damp four walls.

"Miz Pino, I can't stay here," He looked around the lonely, light-less surroundings and reconnected his eyes with her's, "I's don't think I's could live in here for too long."

She actually leaned back and laughed, her crystal clear voice echoing slightly. The sound was so nice, and terribly out of place with the slight misty floor and the low, drawn-out, droning of the choir that could be heard through the walls now. Uno slowly relaxed from where he had tensed up at the unexpected reaction, and allowed her to pat his head again, Pino still laughing, "Of course you're not staying here! You're going to come with me to the orphanage I work at."

Uno smiled back, the room seeming less dark and cold all of sudden.

He adjusted his weight, and after fidgeting against the misty floor, he sheepishly peeked up from his near nakedness and asked, "Could I's have clothes?"

"That's after our next order of business," She clapped her hands and pointed back to the cot, "Sit and I'll take care of your wound."

"Okay," He pushed himself back up onto the uncomfortable material, turning slowly and achingly to sit on the edge. After fully settling himself down, he nervously looked to her, "What's are youse goin' tah do?"

"Just wait," She straightened his shoulders with a gentle push, looking at him from all around, before leaning back and putting a hand to her heart. Uno saw the symbol on her white gloves glow brightly after she softly muttered things under her breath, words he couldn't understand even when he listened, almost sounding as if she was singing, and she reached out and touched the welts and small cut on his head.

Warmth spread nearly to his chest from his head, and he could feel the soreness vaporize into thin air.

"Cure," She finally said and the glowing stopped. Her crystal blue eyes opened again and with twinkling eyes, she gestured with her chin sideways and asked, "Could you show me your back now?"

The process repeated, only this time, the song was more complex and she touched the star shaped hole on his shoulder with slender fingertips and sighed, "Cura."

"And with that," Her smile widened and she slapped her knees, "You're are healed, child. Now, are you ready for some clothes?"

"Yea-" Uno started as he blushingly sunk his head down from the pretty lady, his dense eyes skimming over the blood on the cot, and his word caught in this throat. He suddenly remembered a little girl and her brother, on the floor, lifeless and mutilated, and his eyes widened as he hurried to swallow down the bile rising in his mouth.

Pino's eyes followed his and a soothing hand lifted his chin up for him to look away "Don't force yourself to endure by yourself." She smoothly moved her fingers and rubbed at his red cheek, again repeating her kind words, "I know it hurts, but you're fine and alive. You'll be okay. I won't let a soul hurt you now."

"I's didn't want thems to die," He swallowed, snot gathering in his nose, death, loss, sorrow, and above all else, regret and helplessness clogging chest, "I's shoulda-!"

"No," Her voice was firm and louder than it was earlier before it lowered a pitch, still commanding a stable sort of quality, "You couldn't have done anything. You have to remember that you are so small, and you don't have to carry such a heavy weight. Let it go for awhile until you are strong enough to pick it back up and carry it without hurting yourself."

"Without hurting myself?" He repeated the words back slowly, slightly confused. They sounded so nice but he didn't know what it meant.

She smiled lightly, patient and understanding, "When you can deal with it and not blame yourself. It means, when you're ready to face it."

"O-okay," He screwed his eyes shut and shook his large head, cramming all the images to the recesses of his mind, "I's w-won't think 'bout it u-until I's c-can deal with it."

"Good boy," She patted his leg, and rose to her full height, average for a petite woman. Pino turned herself a bit and announced, "It's time to get you some clothes."

She fluently strode across the room and went to a gray cabinet, lightly yanking it open to reveal the clothes of dark green and yellow color jam-packed within. She wiggled her nose at it, a hand to her chin, before she began to rustle through it, muttering, "You're so small…"

He looked from his still bare feet to her back bent into the cabinet, pulling out article after article of clothing, and awkwardly smiled, unsure if it was alright for him to do so, "I's never got called small b'fore."

"Well, you're still young. You may be 'big' but you are still small compared to adults, and these are adult clothes."

"Where's the kid clothes?" He tilted his head, "Huh?"

"At the orphanage. I will get you something nice there, but here we must make do with what we have," Pino pulled at another piece of woven green and called out triumphantly "aha!" spreading her hands out to stretch a small robe in front of her, "I think this is for a woman, and it still seems a little too big, but it'll do." She walked back to the cot to hand it off to him, saying as she did, "Better than having you going through the streets in blood-soaked clothing."

"Oh," He edged himself off the cot and worked to pull the heavy cumbersome material over his head, the cloth touching the floor before he even yanked his head through the collar.

When the clumsy job was finished, Pino bent down to her knees and tied off the middle, smiling lightly, "Are you ready to go?"

Uno nodded, gathering the ends in his fists to show his bare feet and pull it out of the way. Nodding still, he muttered, "Uh-huh."

He followed after Pino like a duckling to its mother. He turned when she turned and stopped when she did, his eyes never leaving her white back. He was her shadow until they finally made it to the part of the temple he remembered, where he prayed and listened to sermons, and ultimately, all the way back outside, blinking in the light, and down the street.

It was a part of Bevelle he recognized well. His grandmother and himself would sit on the spot over by the fountain, eating whatever it was she packed before heading back home. He sniffed in and ran to catch up with Pino, his eyes itching.

" 'Til I's strong 'nuff for it," He whispered and caught up finally, his fists shaking around the awkward material, "Not 'til then."

Pino heard the muttering and said nothing, only offering her hand silently behind her for him to grasp. Which he did, letting go of one side of the robe and tripping on it as he scurried to catch up. They walked for a long time, in reality only a quarter of an hour at best, before he huffed loud, wondering how long the journey would take.

Pino turned and looked at him, smiling, and with sweat dripping down her milky face. "Are you keeping up fine?"

"Yes, Pino Ma'am." He looked up, his shoulders rising and falling with each heavy breath.

"Good, it's a long walk," She turned back to the way ahead of her and picked up her pace, still clutching his soft hand in her's. Uno puffed along side her but kept up with her strides. They walked up and down the paved roads until finally thirty more minutes passed.

"Are you okay? Want to take a break?" She stopped, her cheeks flushed pink with effort of trudging the steep hill they were on. She herself took her free hand to her chest and took in gulps of air, sweat dappling her pretty features. The Bevellian streets lost some of the grandeur of the Temple district as they made their way deeper into the city, but it was still a cheery neighborhood that they stood in, that much was plain. Uno caught his breath finally and answered.

"No, I's fine," He sucked in his cheeks, the cold northern air nipping at his lungs. "I'm okay."

"Alright then," She started back up the hill, "Just at the top of this incredibly tall hill, hoo, I don't know why anyone would want to build an orphanage in such a place. It has a wonderful view granted, but the walk-!"

Uno skipped, tripping again on the robe hem, and shuffled to catch up with her when she suddenly stopped again, reaching the top of the hill. Uno looked up at the building they stood in front of, Pino catching her breath again, and slowly lowered his eyes to the wooden door with the words _Future Yevonites _painted on it in chipping purple.

"Future Yevonites?" Uno read the words and stopped, "Wh-"

"It's the name. The man who owns this place likes to think all the children we have here will become Yevon soldiers one day since he was a solider before this." Pino laughed again, hardly noticing the tenseness through the boy's hand, "But of course, not _all_ of them are going to be soldiers!"

"Oh," Uno laughed nervously, his grandparents last words to him running through his head. He was simple and he hadn't quite decided where he stood on matter of religion, or his morals. But what felt safe, was safe as far as he knew. And so far, he hadn't met anyone else he could trust besides this woman. He gave the hand a squeeze, and not quite surprisingly, it squeezed reassuringly and warmly back.

"Come on, I know you're scared," Pino soothed, "But it's fine."

"Oh, uh… yeah," He stepped through the door she held open. Immediately he smelled food in the kitchen and heard children laughing dully through the warm cream walls. It looked a lot more kinder on the inside than the out, toys scattered on the wood floors and the uncontrollable giggling and running thumps of steps nearby. A door slammed somewhere, and a girl squealed, before there was more sounds of merrymaking.

But, even with the sounds of kid's playing, the smell of food wafting down the hall gripped Uno's attention.

Pino smiled as Uno rubbed his stomach, "Lunch will be ready soon. I hope you are hungry."

"Yeah," He rubbed more vigorously, knowing that the last time he ate was after the temple visit with his grandmother, perhaps even the morning yesterday.

"First, we have to check you in with Vimo. Then, I think Captain Nanbu is here. He'll absolutely love a boy like you," She encouraged him through another door, away from the food smell, "It'll be quick and then you can eat."

He was 'encouraged' further and further away from the food he hopefully could engulf later. Uno looked over his shoulder, hearing the sounds of children fade, before he swiveled his head to peer down the hallway ahead of him. It stretched to another door at the far end, this one of shady glass, and Pino gripped

the door handle with a soft pat to Uno for further reassurance.

She pushed it open and coaxed Uno in front of her, softly calling, "Sirs?"

"What?" An older man's voice croaked while a slightly younger one laughed.

"Pino, I know that voice you're using. What skinny ragged thing did you drag in this time?"

"Very funny, Captain," She gently pushed Uno more in front of her, and toward the Captain whom she locked eyes with, "But I think you'll be quite impressed with this one."

Uno stood straighter at the sight of the Yevon solider, his fingers twitching. His eyes narrowed and he waited, judging the brown haired man in front of him to see if he was friend or foe.

For a moment, the man's eyes widened at the sight of him and his unfriendly stare, before peeking up at Pino who hadn't lowered her gaze. There seemed to be few unspoken words between them before the Captain smiled and rubbed his head, his voice loud and booming.

"Well, Pino, I am _surprised._" The man whistled and leaned down, his hands landing on his muscled knees, "And, I'm impressed. You haven't been an orphan long have you? Got a lot a fight underneath the surface, I can tell. So what's your name?"

"Mydo," Uno spat, testing the man's eyes, "Uno Mydo."

"Mydo." Nanbu repeated slowly, and with the hostile delivery, his white large smile faded into a straight line. He stood straight again, his thick neck back to lift his head higher, and he peered down at the boy with a fierce gaze, "Is that right?"

"Nanbu?" Pino sounded nervous and the air grew thick with tension.

"T-that's right." Uno puffed out his cheeks and stood straighter, his fingers still twitching, " I'm his grandson and his adopted son. I's lived with him all's my life 'til a while ago."

"No need to explain all that," Nanbu's face softened and Pino slowly lowered her shoulders, though she still held in some breath as Nanbu still didn't smile, "I've heard all about that. News travels fast, see?"

His honey colored eyes blinked, and he raised a light brown brow, "So are you proud of your grandfather?"

"For being there for me," Uno nodded, "An' not being a coward."

"Good, Good, that's what I wanted to hear," Nanbu smiled again, and Pino sighed out all the pent-up air in her gut. Nanbu closed his eyes and shook his head lightly, a hand rubbing the back of his neck, "That man was responsible for a lot of my friends…well…ends. He was very skilled in my eyes and I would be disappointed if he went out with anything less than bravery. Well, not that it has much to do with you..."

"He was brave, always was." Uno relaxed his hands, not entirely sure he liked this man yet, but aware that he might have been more mean than the man probably deserved.

Pino looked at the old man behind the desk, "Vimo, Sir?"

"The boy," The man's voice cracked, and a shaking hand beckoned, "Bring him closer."

Uno walked up to the desk, the smell of age drifting into his nostrils.

"Hmm? Uno…"The man coughed than smiled in a toothless grin, "I'm Vimo, if you have any questions ask me, eh?"

"Right sir," Uno bobbed his head before shifting on his wide bare feet, "Uhm, I have a question now sir."

"Well shoot."

"When's lunch?"

* * *

><p>He adjusted well by all means. Pino and Vimo, apparently Pino's grandfather, were kind and helped him in anything that he needed. Many of the kids circulated through the 'system' as they said, so Uno choose not to grow attach to any of them after his first two companions left him. Instead, he practically glued himself to Pino's side and helped 'take care' of the children with her. It was like he worked there instead of lived in the orphanage like the rest of the kids. He ran errands, picked up groceries, and did chores, only occasionally playing with the others. Despite that, it was a comfortable and very peaceful life. One that he learned to love quickly.<p>

He smiled at the thought that maybe he could stay here forever, doing all the menial things he did day after day for the rest of his life. Of course, had he the same idea later in his life, as an adult, he'd probably laugh at it. But, at the time, it was his every wish. Vimo and Pino liked him enough to probably allow it. And he didn't really care if he ever got adopted, considering that it wasn't likely anyways. He was too fat to seem appealing to wondering parents, and there were too few of them interested in kids at all. Sin was killing people faster than people were willing to take more into their nests, so that further made his adoption unlikely.

And Uno was perfectly content with that.

"Hey, Pino?" He stopped peeling at the potatoes as he ventured to finally ask the question that had been nagging at him. He already assumed the answers, but his heart wanted that secured confirmation. The two years he had stayed there passed him blissfully by and just like on the first night he was there, he was peeling to make dinner with Pino.

"Yes, Uno?" She had her white sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and, like many people already knew from her outfit, she was trained as a White Mage in the Temples. She, however, disliked how her skills were only put to use for Yevon purposes when children in orphanages sometimes needed her just as badly, mostly the one's who had the unfortunate chance of meeting with Sin. Just one of the many things Uno had learned since first coming to live there.

"I's was wonderin'," He rubbed at the handle of the peeler, it was wet from the water the potatoes were being cooked in and the potatoes own slight juices, maybe even Uno's sweat. Uno's cheeks painted with color and he forced his eyes back to the woman.

Pino placed another peeled one in the pot, laughing lightly, "What?"

"Could I's uh…" He flicked at a fly buzzing around the food, before forcing a large and hopeful smile on his face, "Stay here forever?"

"Forever?" Her face sunk, and Uno's quickly matched it with the unexpected reaction, "I sure hope you don't."

"Why?" He leaned slightly forward over the counter and placed his hands on the edge for leverage, "I can help's youse with the kiddos and everything!"

"No, I'm not saying you're not helpful," She shook her head and looked up eyes sparkling, "But this world is so big, you should go do what you want and see it before you settle down."

"The world?" Uno scratched at a fly bite without thinking and then leaned back on his heels, "Why?"

"Spira is vast. You want to see some of it, don't you?" Pino took up another spud in her soft hand, "Both Vimo and I have seen a more than a good amount. It wasn't pleasant, to be honest, but I'm sure when you go out there it will be a much nicer place. The Calm might be here by then."

"Oh, heh," His mouth twitched up into a smile, somewhat involuntarily, "That would be nice."

"It is," She smiled and moved the pot to the stove, "And you can see it Uno, if you want to. There's lots of adventures, and people to meet, and things to learn. Spira is full of breathtaking sights and experiences. It is definitely worth it."

"I's will do it." He nodded, "Someday."

He watched as she blew at a short platinum blonde hair out of her face before placing her blue eyes on the water, waiting for it to come to a boil. In many ways, the woman looked like Tillie, only Pino had blue eyes like the sky instead of green like the grass.

He smiled with a blush again and looked back down at the wet counter. It could be easily said that he had a crush on the older woman. She was only twenty but to the ten year old that seemed a lot older, a decade of course being quite a bit of time.

She had white skin and a crystal clear voice. Her bangs fluffily framed her face perfectly, softly. She was kind, nice, and never grew bored of his company, or scolded him for his speech patterns. She never hit him or raised her voice. They were friends. His smile grew wider when she looked back and gave him a white grin.

"Are you going to help or not, you goof?"

* * *

><p>Until he could carry it. It had been an awful long time, but it seemed like all that time was necessary. And though nothing pointed out directly, now's the time, he just suddenly felt like he could as he laid down to sleep like any other normal night.<p>

He truly felt like he could now. He chewed on his lip and closed his eyes, the sleeping children around him making their unique and individual sounds, and silently wondered what he should exactly do to proceed. His dense eyes opened again, staring at the shadowed ceiling, tremendously more familiar and nice than the temple he woke up to two years ago, and he focused on a lonely crack.

He thought he knew what to do, and knowing he really could do no wrong when it came to it, he let out a slow breath and tried to remember. Everything.

He could see the blood and the shadows, even without closing his eyes, and he shivered. Since then, he's had nightmares of the night, and he never truly forgotten. But, eventually through time and warmth, the cold feelings faded and the nightmares ebbed. Maybe that was the reason he knew he could try to carry it.

Uno remembered his grandfather's body with his grandmother, lying side by side in the shadows of the living room. He could see their arms around each other, his grandfather's broad sword on its side beside his hip, even as it was only a glimpse before he dragged Tillie behind him to the cupboards.

Mistakes. He shouldn't have ran home, and he shouldn't have decided to break all those plates on the floor so the soldiers would have a clue to where they hid. And as much as he desperately wondered what he could've done differently, he knew he couldn't change it and that his younger self wouldn't have even thought of it. Regret was heavy, but he felt just a tinge, like a little flame flickering, of forgiveness for himself. He was a kid then, and didn't know what to do, and no one, not even himself, should blame himself for what happened.

There seemed to be people and things to blame in the situation, the soldiers for being ruthless and cold, the man and his gun for ending a little girl's and her brother's life, even for his grandfather for calling upon the wrath by going against Yevon. But, Uno couldn't blame anyone. They were just doing their job, the soldiers, as nasty as they were, and his grandparents already explained why they did it.

The situation was just horrible, and never should've happened, but it did.

And though he'd never say he wouldn't want it to be different, he got to meet Pino, and Vimo, and Captain Nanbu, who visited often and always with a treat of some sort for him. Perhaps it was because he was simple, but as he thought about it, he just _accepted _it. Lived through it, as he did two years ago.

After all, his grandparents, crimes or no crimes, were good people.

He suddenly remembered when his grandfather's broad sword was hung over the mantle, pretty much unused unless Mydo went to Bevelle on a trip, and his grandfather would follow his watching eyes to the blade and smile. Mydo would reach up and get it for him so he could see it closer, holding it across his wide hands like it was delicate, and rubbed it until it shined. Then, he would lean down and whisper in his ear, "It'll be your's one day, ya know?' and hold his thick arms out and let little Uno touch the smooth side.

He remembered the same thick arms that fished with him in the pond. The old, husky voice and the gray ponytail that hung over his meaty shoulder. He could see the light eyes that was shiny in the mid-afternoon sun when he came back from his 'job.' The man lived with joy and taught him how to laugh, loud and full, and boom his words out so everyone could hear and see your happiness.

Rolling over in the bed, Uno could feel the warm calloused hands of his grandmother lightly slapping his hand for sticking his own pudgy fingers in the baking bowl. He would lick the chocolate off his fingers, smiling guiltily and staring up at her with black eyes that begged, and his grandmother would then wink with her good eye and say get a spoon.

He remembered once, when he held the spoon in his hand and stood up on tip toes to reach the bowl, his grandmother had stamped on his bare toes accidentally and then demanded to know why he didn't wear his shoes, as she always wondered.

She'd be proud of him now. He always wore shoes, since it wasn't exactly proper to go barefoot through the city streets and not exactly comfortable either. Soft country dirt was one thing, but paved roads with bustling, and jostling people, and sometimes broken glass and little stones, were more than enough trouble to pull on shoes for.

The shoes at home, with his grandparents, were always left in the doorway every single day, only being worn when Uno and his grandmother went to the temple and his grandmother shoved him into them. The door would always run into them because he left them right in the way when he took them off. They always waited until the next following Sunday until his grandmother would shove him back into them once more.

The old clothes in the chest beside the door also waited for him. The clothes always smelt like the house…

The house always smelled like bee's wax and the cooking concoctions his grandmother made up daily. They didn't smell like old people like Vimo did. They smelt like the earth. Pleasant, warm, natural. It may have just been from where they lived, but Uno always had the idea that it was the way they were, like they were made from the earth.

Uno sighed deeply, a huge weight that he didn't even know was there lifting from his shoulders. There was nothing to be sad about anymore, though he was still a little, but he could remember and cherish. He took another breath and his eyes snapped open, his expression curious.

Sniffing, he smelt the light earth smell now, the smell that matched his grandparents. Like water and dirt, and plants. He turned his head around and back to the pillow, breathing in heavily.

It smelt like pee, and he jerked away from it with vigorous rubbing to his round nose.

He sniffed the blanket, also holding the pungent odor that probably hundreds of children dispersed onto it. Uno sniffed the mattress receiving the same result only that it was stronger.

"Uck!" He shook his face, rubbing at it with the back of his hand in disgust. He sniffed in again, his skin underneath his nose.

Smiling, he fell back again.

_He _smelled like the earth. Like his Grandparents.


	4. Weaklings Aren't Accepted

**~By Stormytitan**

**Need I really announce who it is every time? It's a pattern folks...**

* * *

><p>The waiting was near unbearable.<p>

Sano rolled onto his back, the steel frame of his bed creaking noisily underneath his light weight, and slowly let himself settle back into the stiff, stale-smelling mattress. His thin face tightly pinched together, the concentration greatly disturbed, which was made evident by the large amount of displeasure written across his gaunt features, as he tried to force himself to sleep. He adjusted his weight again, an ungodly amount of noise coming from that action, before he sighed and eased his body to go lax.

"H-h-hic," Another pathetic whimper was made followed by a disgusting sniff of a really snotty nose. Sano grimaced.

He clenched his jaw as the general sobbing and sniveling continued from the left of him. Along with hiccupping and a few, annoying, high-pitched whines. Sano was wide awake anyways, as he was most nights, when the skinny child was dragged into the room late in the night and ordered to sleep in the bed next to him, whom they pointed at with a mean finger. He had closed his eyes when the caretakers walked in, and calmly let them flick open as the door slammed shut, the child flinching and shaking in the shadows. It was clear by the way the child acted, confused and starting his first notes of whimpering at that point, that this boy hadn't been dealing with orphanages for very long.

Sano watched him, his slanted eyes adjusted to the darkness already, as the child inched toward the uncomfortable bed and crawled into it, clutching himself with all his weak strength. Then, the tears and snot came along with his huge involuntary gasps for air. He continued to watch him for a few moments more, an edge of impending boredom creeping over his head, before rolling over for the first time to ignore the new kid.

But, some thirty minutes later, the blubbering had not ceased.

Sano scowled deeply to the side of him, dully wondering if the child had enough sight to see him, or even cared to. Then, taking a breath himself as the boy took in more air for another session, he loosened his frown to a harsh straight line.

After all, he couldn't blame the new kid for crying, especially since he cried himself when he first arrived two years ago. But, in all honesty and in his opinion, the child had been carrying on for far too long.

"Hey," Sano rasped across the space between the beds to the child, "What's the matter with you?"

His question offered pity, though his tone had the most unsympathetic quality to it, only exposing his annoyance.

"I don't want to be here," The voice was much more louder than Sano wanted.

"SHH!" He hissed and leaned forward slightly, ignoring the awful creaking of the springs underneath him, "We're supposed to sleeping and if we're not, they'll come in and hit us with a stick."

The kid sucked in air and squeaked loudly before lowering his voice to a small whimper.

"Calm down, they're not going to hear us unless you make noise." Sano sat up, the bed creaking again, and put his bony hands on his knees, "What's your name, kid?"

"Edmond."

"Well, Edmond, I'm Sano and I want to sleep. So, if you could please stop crying…"

"Did Sin get your parents too?"

Sano flinched, his shoulders rising up into a tense position. _Talkative, is he? Most kids don't want to mention Sin in fear of bringing back painful memories._

"No, I was brought here on the pretense that my parents died of an accident and I had lost my mind quite completely." Sano moodily turned his head to the side and closed his eyes tightly, blocking out any mental picture, kind or horrid, that wanted to worm its way into his skull.

A sniff, "What's a pretense?"

"A lie," Sano opened his eyes and leaned forward again, narrowing his nearly glowing eyes that stole bits of the scant moonlight from the windows far above and out of reach on the high cracked walls, "An intention to deceive someone."

"Oh, so what really happened to your parents?" Edmond sat up slowly, wiping away his tears and sniffing in awful amounts of snot into his red nose.

Sano grimaced before sighing, realizing it was too late to make the little kid just lay down and sleep. Sano peeked out of the corner of his eye, cleverly trying to end the conversation and shutting the kid up, "What exactly happened to yours?"

"Sin crushed them. We lived in a pretty nice town near Luca. I was at school when it happened. Lots of people died there too, but I got away." Edmond sniffed again, and gestured with a pale hand, "Now you."

Sano rolled his eyes, honestly annoyed that the kid was happy to share his grief. The large eyes had adjusted and stared straight at him, waiting patiently and innocently wondering. Sano brought his knees up to his chest and then overlapped his arms across them, eyes not meeting the child's as he bit-

"My mother died of a…miscarriage and I never met my father." Sano shook his head, "I had siblings but they couldn't take care of me." He shortened it, not at all relishing in the thought of sharing even this much. Why was he even bothering to talk and risk another beating for not doing what he was supposed to? The bruises had barely healed from the last time when he tried to slip under the fence to escape!

"I'm sick and fragile, are you?" Edmond said matter-of-factly, like he had been told this all his life and it was just ingrained into his head, like a permanent unchangeable reality, before he leaned forward with honest eyes, "You're kinda skinny like me."

"I'm not sick," Sano growled and looked at the boy like he was an idiot. He wasn't going to go as far to say he wasn't fragile. One hit of the stick tended to send him flying while the other boys his age, the tender age of eleven, fought against the pain and stood on their feet until the beating was done. But, the boy wasn't getting on his good side by thinking from the start that he was possibly weak. Sano jutted his narrow chin out, huffing with an insulted tone, "And so what if I'm skinny? That doesn't make you weak."

"It don't?"

"No," He jammed a thumb into his chest, his voice hardening, "I can't be weak. The Yevon Army doesn't accept weaklings. I need to join the army."

"Do you like the army?" Edmond wiped at the snot coming out of his nose with his shirt sleeve.

"No," Sano grimaced at both the thought of _liking _the army and the snot trail on the pajamas. He ran his thin fingers through his hair, growing longer as the days went on. It was now against his upper back now, a long collection of hair hung over the right part of his face (left if you were facing him) and covered his eye most of the time. Besides the fact it wasn't slightly wavy, it looked like his mother.

"Why do you want to join then?" Edmond copied him and ran a small hand through his orange hair.

"I'm going to look for my brother…and my father." He sighed, deciding the last part in that instant. He never, in all the two years of being there, thought of _why _he was going. He just knew he needed to go as his brother told him, the last words ringing through his skull as if it was a calling of nature. He had already tried to slip away earlier, several times actually, the waiting and the pain unbearable as he lived his life in this wretched place. But, always, he was thwarted at the last minute and was unable to escape and reunite with Yagi.

The calling for freedom was still there, of course, but the feeling of strange fate that he had felt when he was eight joined it, actually tingling through his blood, about meeting his father one day. And so, he decided to look for his father too.

Edmond blinked, "Oh, your brother and dad there?"

"Yes, or I wouldn't be going." Sano sneered, not at all feeling particularly friendly, and snapping himself back into his foul mood as a way to protect himself. To protect himself from what, he had yet to decide, and figured that he shouldn't care to know the answer.

Edmond's head sunk down for a moment before he mumbled, "Sorry," as if he did something wrong. Sano shook his head and choose to ignore him, after a while though, as he calmed down a bit, he turned his head to tell the kid not to worry about it.

Sano stiffened as his eyes ghosted over Edmond's face. The boys face was horrified in a way, with his eyes widened, and his small mouth hanging open.

Sano leaned forward and rasped, "What?"

"Why aren't you kids in bed?" The woman that ran the horrible place stood behind him, and he knew the woman well enough that she was always mad, and even madder when children disobeyed.

Other kids woke up but dared not to move from the sleeping positions, as Sano, the known trouble maker by now, slowly turned onto his back to look at the woman with shaking eyes and a deep set frown that seemed to be permanently slapped on his lips these days.

"I erm,-" Sano swallowed his words as the stick came across his chest. "Ah!"

He fell to the ground beside his bed, the stick flying at him in an instant. He felt his body jerk against the boards and he heard Edmond's whimpering above him. When he thought all was over he relaxed again, welts growing over his bruised skin.

He heard the other half of the punishment begin. Edmond yelped as the stick came at him, before he screamed in blood curdling cries, like they all did the first couple of beatings, and sobbed out miserably. The woman knocked him to the floor and he laid beside Sano, tears and more snot all over his red face, as he desperately looked for sympathy from Sano.

His bottom lids curled up a little, his mouth lifting, in what would be called a sympathetic gaze though the face was hard to make since he hadn't made it in a long time.

Sano felt the stick come across both of them again, a shrill voice screeching above them like a vengeful god from the heavens, "Now don't let me catch you up again!"

"Yes Ma'am," He sat up on shaking elbows, his ribs sore, and tried not to let the spit fall from his mouth since that would only earn another hit to the back of his head as he had learned before.

"Git to bed!" The woman barked and knocked the stick against the bed frame, a sharp violent clang ringing out, making everyone in the room gasp.

"Yes, Ma'am," Sano repeated and lifted himself up and laid on the stiff mattress once more.

"You too!" She yelled down at Edmond.

Like most of the others, Edmond laid on the floor crying. Believing in his head that he couldn't possibly get up through the pain. Sano rubbed his side, knowing he'd learn and quick.

"No, Ma'am" Edmond coughed.

He stiffened again. No one had ever been _that_ stupid.

"What?" The woman snapped the stick against the floor, "What?!"

"I'm sick!" Edmond bawled pathetically, tears forming runlets down his pale face, "Please don't make me get up right now!"

"Stand up!"

"NO!"

Panic surged through Sano's chest and he lifted his head and shoulders up, rolling to his side quickly, and leaned over the edge of his bed to shout, "Edmond! Stand up now!"

The stick hit his chin and his teeth rattled, "I told you to git to bed!"

Gripping his chin with tight fingers, Sano backed away with a feral glare and laid on his back again, his other set of fingers bending into a tight fist at his side.

"Get up!" The woman turned the stick back to Edmond, a hard thwack thumping into the boy's skull, "Now!"

"Ah! NO!"

"NOW!"

"NO!"

The stick hit his legs, jolting his body against the rough floor boards, and was merciless even as he cried out. When the beating paused, he forced himself to rise up on his hands and knees. There was a moment where he swooned, his neck looking boneless, before he suddenly lurched forward and puked.

The woman narrowed her eyes, doughy hands and ruthless stick on her hips, "Why did you puke all over the floor? You know who's going to clean this up don't you?"

"M-me," Edmond wiped at his mouth, tears streaking down his cheeks again.

"You're damn right," She hit Sano's bed stand with the stick again, rattling it, "Now do it!"

"With what?" Edmond looked around desperately and looked up at the older boy on the bed, asking for help with his eyes. Sano met his eyes with bent brows, honestly feeling sorry for him, as he hadn't felt for anyone in a long time, because he knew what was coming. He had a cold once himself and threw up.

"There is a trash can by the door. Since you're the one that puked, you can clean it with your hands." The woman turned on her fat slippered feet and jabbed a jiggling arm to the door, "Now do it!"

"I can't do that." Edmond pleaded, shaking as his hands was held out in front of his body, begging for understanding, "It's not healthy to clean stuff with-"

The stick came down again and again. Sano found himself wincing with every one of the little fragile boy's sharp cries, and soon Sano tried to block his ears with his hands to shut it out. But Edmond was crying and screaming for it stop, coughing and nearly choking on his tears, and his hands were useless to try and repel the torment. Sano screwed his eyes shut, trying to keep himself on the sane level of life, before Sanity herself threw her hands up and left him in the bed as his eyes shot open, gleaming with hot burning hate.

Sano's temper flared as he leapt out of bed, yowling like a cat, and crashed into the woman's side as she held the stick high over her head to strike down again. She fell to the floor with a puff of air and he held onto her for dear life, fearing the stick in her other arm, and knowing what a stupid move he had done.

She rolled and brought the stick to his face, cracking into his cheekbone. He released her instantly and gasped at the fiery pain meeting his eyes, the stick across his face again, and rolled down into a ball to make himself a smaller target. He covered his face with his arms and yelped at the pain meeting his elbows soon enough, the sharp bones and lack of general fleshiness on his body bringing even more pain to him.

"Move them!" She demanded and attacked his elbows again with sharp unending smacks.

With a groan, he moved them as she commanded and felt the stick against his skull once, twice, before he finally allowed a cry of pain to slip from his lips.

"NOOO!" Edmond crashed into from behind, much like Sano had done for him earlier, and tried to maneuver his short arms around the woman's fat middle. Sano sat up and grabbed the stick heading for Edmond with his bloodied hands and was tossed down to the floor by the woman's strength, his head bouncing from the boards. Edmond threw his weight into her back, trying to pin her down, as Sano growled and refused to let go of the stick.

All the children in the room watched from their beds, knowing the punishment that would come from these small victories.

More caretakers rushed in, hearing the head woman's curses, ready to punish anyone misbehaving. They yanked Edmond up by his thready shirt and tossed him aside, before one kicked Sano hard in the ribs to topple him to the floor. The woman got up, gripping her stick tighter, and shook it at the boys' faces as they crawled and pushed themselves closer to each other.

"Get up!" She poked Sano hard in the chest, then jabbed Edmond, "Since you are such good friends you can both clean up the vomit together!"

"No! Sano doesn't have to, I'll do it!" Edmond defended him for reasons, to this day, the other could never quite grasp, especially since a beating was imminent for his disobedience.

"What?" The woman smacked his shoulder with the brunt force of her anger, and her stick. She didn't wait for him to answer before swinging it into his shoulder again.

"He told you he was sick!" Sano yelled over the wails of Edmond, and caught the stick with a slap of his swollen hand against the hard wood, "You didn't listen, Stupid Woman!"

The stick came across his body and he fell back.

He laid still as possible as the woman attacked his skin with the stick. Many of the welts broke and he felt blood seep underneath his shirt.

It stopped and he laid still, fearing movement might cause another attack. He needed to stay alive if he was ever going to find Yagi again and meet up with Mia. It was silly that he only now thought of that, after he had provoked her to despise his little trouble making soul for the rest of his miserable days.

Edmond whimpered as his beating stopped too. Sano sighed, relieved it was over for the night. He made a face at the thought of touching Edmond's bile but at least he wouldn't have to get hit anymore.

Suddenly, he was jerked by his ankle across the boards. The roughness of them leaving splinters in his body. Behind him he could hear Edmond also being dragged. The caretaker's opened the door of the room then slammed it shut behind them as they were continued to be dragged through the halls and to a small broom closet. Once there, the caretakers threw them in.

They closed the door and Sano heard the cold sound of the door clicking locked. He shivered, recalling that he once heard a story how the caretakers locked a little girl in there, and she starved to death before they opened it again. When they found her, they grimaced and left her. To this day, the bones of the girl remained according to what older boys proclaimed. Sano couldn't feel bones on the ground but he felt dread in his chest and throat. He banged on the door with his fists, "Let us out!"

One of the caretakers kicked the door, "Shut up!"

He fell back into Edmond and he felt a trail of hot, unidentifiable, wetness on his cheeks as the men and woman walked away from the closet and into their own rooms. He swallowed hard.

"Sano?"

He felt the lump in his throat grow bigger and he had difficulty talking, "What?"

"I'm sorry." Edmond hiccupped, "It's my fault!"

"No, none of that," Sano shook his head, which through the darkness Edmond was sure to not see, "Let's wait. They'll let us out in the morning."

"You sure?"

"No, but what else is there to do?" Sano felt his way along the small closet space to the nearest wall, before sorely maneuvering himself to lean his back against the wall and stretched out his long legs. The younger boy, with some squeaks of pain, copied.

Once settled, Sano wiped at his face hatefully. Only a few minutes passed of ragged breathing after that, before the silence was gently broken by a soft voice.

"Sano, I don't feel too good."

"Don't throw up again." Sano scooted away, somewhat wondering if that was mean or not. He shook his head and tilted his head away from Edmond, adding, "I don't think I can handle that in this small space."

"I pee'd" Edmond shuffled in his spot, hot shame painting his face and, which Sano noticed, was mingled with his words, "My pants are wet."

"Well, I can deal with that," Sano coughed at the smell that rose from the boy, and tried to assure, "It'll dry and you can clean yourself up later."

"Okay…Sano?"

"What?" The sound was brief, not exactly friendly.

"I really don't feel good." Edmond repeated, fear underlying his tone, and he coughed and writhed in his place, "I think I broke something, and I can't hardly breathe at all."

"You'll be fine, stop overplaying things. You'll find it doesn't help in places like this. " Sano dismally paused and laid back into the wall, his head feeling far too heavy for his thin neck, and his body aching badly. He looked down at his shadowy, bony knee caps and whispered weakly, "You just need to...just go to sleep. In the morning they'll let us out…"

"Hey, Sano?" Edmond's head made a gentle thump as it hit the wall, "Are you my friend?"

There was a few heavy seconds of silence.

"Yeah, Yeah, Sure. Whatever. I went through this much trouble it might as well be for a friend." Sano ran his fingers through his hair, "Now, sleep."

"Okay."

* * *

><p>He woke up to the thunderous footsteps outside the door. It was uniform and signaled that the kids were heading to the bathroom to brush their teeth and wash for breakfast. He squirmed, his stomach hurting from pain and hunger.<p>

The footsteps came and went again and no one opened the door. Sano sat back miserably, _Maybe the story of the girl dying wasn't a story after all?_

He thought for a moment about waking up Edmond but shooed it away. The little one had a very rough night, he told himself, might as well let him sleep it out.

He laid back, mind drifting so he didn't focus on the pains he felt. How old was Edmond? Eleven like him or younger? He looked younger, but that doesn't really mean much…He looked older than most eleven year olds anyways.

Later the footsteps went outside in the yard to play. Which of course only consisted of the few beat-up toys that the orphanage somehow came to own (which was always taken first by the strongest of the kids), and the yard itself enclosed by a tall, rickety, chain link fence.

Sano rubbed his knees together, he needed to pee.

He controlled his bladder long enough for the footsteps to pass him again for lunch. He yanked at his hair, trying to think of anything but food and the bathroom that he heard some kids veer into.

He could pee his pants like Edmond did, it didn't really matter did it? But the thought of being his age with pissed soaked pants made him sneer at himself. How could he even think that? The embarrassment would be bad enough as it was!

Time seemed to pass slowly. Sano rubbed at his knees more vigorously. Was Yagi going through a similar Hell? Did he miss his little brother as much as his little brother missed him? Did he have any friends that would run into a woman's back for him? Even if it meant being beaten?

Edmond was a friend, he decided. Given it was an early friendship but he couldn't deny he felt a bond with the pale, white child beside him unlike that with the other pitiful children. Sano hoped that things would turn out right for the one beside him.

He pinched at his hair and thought about his mother. She always fussed over little things, like his appearance. He never really cared what he wore or how his hair was kept, but she messed with the same things every morning.

When he first arrived at this damned place, they took his nice funeral clothes away from him and sold it. They gave him dingy dark gray clothes instead and, at eleven years old, he was already starting to outgrow them. His ankles and wrists stuck out from the cloth and his long thin and bony collar bone stuck out from the top too. In the painfully long two years he stayed at this horrid place, he had grown into his lanky shape but remained horribly skinny, if not more so, now that he barely got enough to eat.

Sano ran his sinewy hand, the only muscle he ever could see on himself, over this ribs. He could count each one. That was a sure sign he wasn't getting enough nutrition, but despite that he still had incredible growth spurts. He flexed his arm and felt for muscles there but couldn't find any at all, just tough skin and a small squishy thing that could possiblybe his bicep. Sighing, he pushed at it with his calloused forefinger, making the top of his arm stick up a bit.

The muscles could come later, the Army didn't accept weaklings after all. He had developed hand muscles from the work he did in the orphanage. He, and a few other kids that never really left, sewed strips of cloth together for Yevon knew what. Probably something for the war with Sin, like tents or some such nonsense.

Sano sighed slowly, realizing that if he was thinking of the work to keep his mind busy, it was evident that boredom was starting to grate on his nerves now.

Sano peeked at Edmond, slumped in the corner of the closet, and tried to determine the time of day it was. Plenty of light streamed in, and it was past lunch, how long did the kid need to sleep? Sano battled with the thought of being nice, but his need for human companionship over powered him and his lifted his hand up into the air, his voice raising to a slight higher tone to hopefully pleasantly wake the boy up.

"Hey, Edmond," Sano pressed into the child's face with his fingers, his eyes widening with shock and disbelief as soon as it made contact. He pulled away and tried to get his speeding mind to process what it was that made his blood turn to ice. What his mind found wasn't good.

When he touched Edmond's face, all he felt was cold and clammy. He couldn't make his fingers stop shaking and he felt frozen fear grip his throat for what seemed to be an eternity before he dared to croak out of a dry throat-

"E-Edmond?"

He leaned closer and shook the shoulders hard, quickly, with fear behind his widened slanted eyes.

Edmond's head flopped down, lifeless, and his body was jostled enough to bonelessly fall towards him.

Sano screamed, his throat ripping, and backed away from the corpse as fast as he could, his back hitting the beat-up steel closet door with a loud crash. He squeezed his eyes shut and cried, helplessly, turning and trying to yank the door knob as hard as he could. Every jerk failed, his arms hurting, and he begged to anyone that could hear him to let him out. When, in the slow mere seconds, no one answered right away, he banged against the door desperately with his whole bruised body and punched the paper covered glass window.

A spider web crack spread along the surface and his own blood stained the center like an ugly flower. Finally, with alarm that he had raised in the caretakers with his horrified cries, they wrenched open the door, barely turning the key to unlock it, and Sano tumbled out in a tangle of senseless screams, limbs, blood, and fear.

The caretakers started to turn angrily to the emotional boy that backed away on hands and knees to the opposite wall, shaking uncontrollably, and eyes glued to the interior of the close like it would jump out and bite him viciously, or more accurately, like he had seen a ghost. Their eyes followed the invisible trail of Sano's eyes to the small, frail, body of another boy, whose name they had forgotten already and hadn't wrote down yet in their ill kept records, curled on the closet floor.

After that, Sano remembered nothing but an overcoming numbness and darkness.

That was his first encounter with death that he ever had 'first hand', but, in the years following, it sadly wouldn't be the last.

* * *

><p><strong>What's wrong with me? I have to question that now...I mean, I swear there is a good point for all these kids dying! I'm not just a sick, awful person (Oh dear god, Or AM I?! :O )<strong>


	5. Uno is Put to the Test

**~By Stormytitan**

Pino wiped her eyes, crystal-clear tears brimming the very edges as she stared down at the boy who, after so few joyous years of care, was making a big decision. Perhaps the first of his life, and though he only had a feeling for it now, the choice that would effect the rest of his life dramatically.

The boy shifted on his pudgy feet uncomfortably. The thirteen year old really did hate to see Miz Pino cry for any reason, and especially over his account.

"Uno, I'm going to miss you. Do you know that?" Pino reached for his shoulders and took them into her soft, kind hands. The same hands that saved him five years before.

He laughed, eyes glowing with life that had slowly returned, his stupid innocence strangely unaffected by bloody tragedy. But, at the same time, there was a hint of something less naive about his face as he confidently boomed into the early spring air, with a voice loud, sure, and carefree, "I's knows youse gonna miss me but don't youse worry 'bout nothing! I'll be back one day!"

Pino scrunched up her round face and offered a wide, earnest smile as more tears dribbled from her eyes.

"Aw Pino-" Uno started and put down his heavy pack from his shoulder, his wide hands reaching for her arms comfortingly when a dry croak distracted the both of them from their personal farewells.

"Uno! Before you take off-" Vimo limped out of the chipped purple painted door, leaning and relying heavily on his cane, with a meatless and loose arm tucked behind his back in a formal manner, "There is something I want to show you. If you could spare an old crone like me the time?"

"Uhh..." Uno glanced at Pino, obviously confused, and her clueless large blue eyes conveyed her equal surprise in the matter. Vimo had openly doted on Uno since Pino clearly doted on him, but the old man had never asked anything of him. Now, his shaking hand beckoned the preteen closer and back into the building of the orphanage.

"Okay," Uno nodded his wide head and dutifully followed behind Vimo, who slowly went back inside at an ancient's pace.

They walked side by side, one limping a bit and the other plodding with loud steps, down the hall that Uno had walked when he first arrived. The shady glass door at the end had remained unchanged, and so the image in the older Uno's eyes hadn't changed either, except his slightly better view of the world from his taller stance.

Halfway down the hallway in the slow journey, Vimo started to rattle with a wide, mostly toothless, smile-

"A solider, you're making me proud, you know that? Makes me wish my son was you instead of the no good I actually had," Vimo spat out then, literally, a little bit of saliva escaping his lined lips, "He never became anything! A merchant of death! Sold illegal weapons to rebels to spite me I think! But Pino managed to turn up right. Of course, her mother raised her."

"…Thank you?" Uno cocked his head, trying to find what it was old man was trying to say to him.

"Oh! Don't thank me yet!" Vimo cackled then and walked into his office with a slight nod to the boy who opened the door for him, "Come on."

When he made it to the spot behind his desk, Uno patiently waited for the old man to say something before nothing happened at all. Uno shifted his feet, considered the time, and coughed lightly, politely prodding,

"Uhhm, Vimo? Whut was it youse wanted me for?"

Vimo's gray eyes did not widen in surprise as if he had forgotten something, instead staring straight at Uno with a bit of pride as he beamed and turned slowly toward a shelf behind his desk that lined the back wall. His rough voice softly whispered, "This."

Uno rose to his tip toes a bit, his nose lifting, to see over the large cluttered desk. When he couldn't see properly, he moved to join Vimo behind it, and his dull eyes found and followed the angle of the old man's bent and crooked finger pointing down. The set of shelves had various boxes on it, the way they had been the day Uno came in five years ago by the look of time and dust coating them, but Vimo pointed to one particularly. One that looked much, much older than the rest.

Vimo raggedly coughed before laughing, "I'd present it to you but hah! I can't lift nothing anymore, much less bend."

"Let me get it for youse," Uno bent to one knee and hoisted the heavy box, with no particular strain, up onto the desk. His eyes glanced over and studied the details of the thick, brown wicker box, but only found that the special item was just that, a thick, brown wicker box. Coughing up dust, Uno swatted the air in front of him and asked, "Whatz in it?"

The old man shook in a way that many aged people do, turning his head, "I-…I don't know."

"Whut youse mean youse don't know?" Uno gave one last cough, "Vimo, youse means to tell me that youse don't even know's whats in this?"

"I was going to give it to my real son," Vimo nodded sagely, "But, he never deserved it so, I kept it." The elder said simply and with little sadness in his voice, the disappointment having fallen into the text of his mind like text of history a hundred years gone.

"I long forget what's in there but it's yours."

"Oh, okay," Uno reached out for it, but was stopped by a wrinkled hand that plopped on top of his and gently held it to the sealed wicker lid. Uno lifted a thick, black brow, "Huh?"

"Not until your sixteen," Vimo smiled a gummy grin, "Three more years."

"Uhhh," Uno scratched his face, dust rubbing onto his cheek, with the hand he eased from underneath the shaky palm as he wondered why he had it now if he wasn't supposed to do anything with it. After a moment, Uno dared to ask, "Why?"

"It is a 'becoming a man' present, I remember that much. I intended for my son to have it when he was sixteen." Vimo patted the top of it fondly, not remembering exactly what was in it but knowing it was important and something he was proud this one particular boy would one day own. He just knew in his old, brittle bones that it would come to use. Vimo shook his head and choose to finally explain himself, "I doubt I'll be here for that long…even now, to properly give it to you when you're sixteen. So, making sure, I give it to you now to open yourself when you're a man."

Uno blinked, a moment of clarity spreading over his face, before he awkwardly smiled and rubbed the back of his head, "Uh, thanks, youse didn't haveta'-"

"My only wish now," Vimo interrupted him with a shaking voice, "Is to see you use it. And whether I'm right here in this spot or watching over you in the Farplane, I will by Yevon, one day, see you use whatever was my present for my son. I want you to have this and promise me you'll keep it shut tight until that day comes."

"Sir, yes, Sir" Uno saluted, a sense of pride and responsibility filling his gut as he grabbed the box, the feeling of importance overcoming him, as he formally dipping his head, "Thank youse."

"For a good son," Vimo stuck a feeble hand out with a flat palm, "A good son."

"Thank youse," Uno dipped his head a second time, and grasped the hand to shake softly, finding to his surprise it being gripped tightly and firmly shaken in return. Vimo released him quickly and brought his hand back to the curve of his cane, while Uno adjusted the heavy weight of the box that started to get heavier the longer he stood there. After pulling the box back into his the crook of his arm, Uno said somewhat shyly, "I's think I'll go now then."

Vimo nodded a form of his consent before stopping the boy once again with his voice, "Be safe, strong, and most importantly-"

Uno lifted his head in anticipation.

"Have courage," Vimo winked a dull eyes at him before closing them gradually, a hand lifting up to shakily wave the old man's last goodbye ,"And be sure to come back and see Pino when you're done seeing the world, eh?"

"Oh, I'll do that, Sir," Uno turned, heavy box under his hand, "I'll do that."

Uno didn't notice how Vimo didn't say to come back to see him when he was done seeing the world.

Uno left down the hallway, a sense of well being throughout him, and exited the orphanage with an unexpected rise of cheers from the open upstairs windows of kids only now waking up in the early morning, waving wildly and screaming with high pitched voices, "GOOD BYE! GOOD LUCK! SEE YOU ONE DAY, UNO!"

He gave one quick wave to them, feeling rather grown up with his calm reaction, and went down the road that led to the temple, turning once more to wave good-bye to the place he had dwelled in for the past five years. It was surprising how attached he had gotten to it in that short amount of time, and them to him, but he was leaving it today for the recruiter...

That might not let him in, given his weight. But even if they didn't he'd find some other way to travel. He wanted to see Spira with his own eyes and find out for himself what is right. Which he wanted to find so badly.

"See youse all someday!" He happily boomed to the shrinking people in the distance before turning on his heel and saying to himself, "Whelp! To the recruiter!"

* * *

><p>"Hey, Captain Nanbu!" Uno waved at the familiar face, his voice lighting up at the sight of the broad shouldered person that sat behind a comically small table stacked high with white papers. When the man looked up at the approaching preteen, Uno lifted a palm in the air in a gesture of further greeting, "Whut'z up?"<p>

"Oh, Hi Mydo." Nanbu smiled in recognition, and gladly put away the boring paper with a bit of relief that he had a legitimate reason to put it aside. "Are you running errands for Pino again?"

"Nope," The thirteen year old smiled, and pulled out a clipping of the Bevellian Bulletin listing all the details of a new program the army was willing to put into action in the effort against Sin (unknowingly unnecessary as Braska's ten year Calm was going to begin in another year). Nanbu barely had to look at it to know what it was, but still had an incredulous look on his face as Uno gladly stated, "I'm here so's youse can sign me up for the Yevon Army!"

Nanbu blinked, the earlier smile on his face shrinking just a bit, "You can't be serious."

Uno vigorously nodded and answered, "I's am."

"A Mydo? Now? In the Yevon Army?" Nanbu threw his head back and laughed heartily, "Stop joking around, Uno! For what reason in all of Spira would you join the Yevon Army?"

"I's ain't joking!" Uno defended, sticking up his chin and puffing out his chest as he did to stress the level of which he was serious. "Youse the one joking."

"Why?" Nanbu's eyes narrowed to a sort of sharpness that always was unexpected of his character, being a hearty and generally happy person around friends. He crossed his thick, heavily muscled arms over his chest, his voice low, "Didn't you develop any hatred after the unit sent in killed your grandparents and your little girlfriend?"

"Hey!" Uno blushed slightly, his tone still light, "Tillie was uh...uhm, Tillie's brother was killed too!"

"Whatever," Nanbu waved his hand sideways, rested his elbows on the table, and set his mouth into a deadly straight line, "Why would you want to join the Yevon Army?"

"I want to be in the Army because I like Yevon's teachings and I wan' to protect the people that follow it," Uno nodded, "I don't care what some bad men has done. They's didn't follow the teachings like they were supposed to. I's mean...where in Spira does it say that Yevon wants youse tah kill people that don' think the same as youse?"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure it's somewhere in the texts...between the lines. What? Do you think that stopping rebels is a crime?" Nanbu frowned hard. Uno knew it was a testing question. He may have not been a smart child but after a few times it happened, Uno noticed that the Captain became uncharacteristically grim when asking questions that particularly tested Uno's loyalty. But, when it came to loyalty, Uno passed with flying colors, since he wasn't cunning enough to lie or think to.

"No, but I's think that they way they's did it was a bad way to go with it," Uno blinked and puffed out his chest, "They's shouldn't have shot Tillie and her brother...Shootin' Gramps made me mad, but even he knew what he was doing would be a crime against Yevon. He thought it was right, but I don't. He fought for what he believed in and I like that. I'm going to fight for what I believe in too."

"And what's that?"

"Protect good people." Uno said simply and followed with a blink.

Something resembling a smile appeared on the Captain's face but it was too sad for Uno to think it was actually a smile. The usual loud voice of the Captain was quiet as he asked dryly, "Who are the good people?"

"Im's workin' tha'd part out," Uno then assured with a bob in his thick wrists, "I'lls figure tha'd out as I's go."

Nanbu finally cracked a real smile for the boy, "We'll, I suppose I shouldn't expect you to have all the answers, since you're just a kid." Nanbu bent his head down, his face almost pleading, "So, are you absolutely sure this is the path you want to take?"

"I's thought a lot about it. I's don' understand a lot of things, 'specially Yevon since Gramps and Grandmuh died, so I's figure joining will help me's finally understand it." Uno shrugged, "But I really want to see Spira too. Like Pino said, there is so much I's don't knows and uh…I's don't want tah be stupid. Bevelle an' that orphanage is 'bout the only thing I knows. I's want to change that."

"Not to become strong or defeat Sin? None of that?" Nanbu tilted his head, "Those are the usual answers I get from people."

"I told youse I want to protect people, isn't that just part of it?" Uno put his hands on his hips. He had found that doing that actually made him look bigger and slightly smarter. "I'm not so stupid tha'd I don't know for sure that Sin is bad."

"Well, I have no qualms," Nanbu gave him a sheet of paper from one of his stacks, his eyes reluctant to look at the exchange, "You know how to spell your name and write your age, right?"

"Yeah," Uno grasped at the sign-up paperwork, "I's can do's this with my eyes closed!"

"Good to hear," Nanbu flicked his brown ponytail over his shoulder, "Now start writing, once you're done, your ass belongs to the Yevon Army."

"Yes, Sir" Uno saluted and grabbed a pencil.

"Are you done yet?" Nanbu swiped at the paper impatiently. He looked it over then forced a smile on his broad face, "Congrats, Kid. You now belong to the Yevon Army completely…any regrets?"

"No," Uno shook his head, "I want's this."

Nanbu angled his head away from Uno, so proud of himself at the moment that he was beaming, before a thought seeming flashed behind the Captain's eyes. The Captain truly smirked, before chuckling, "You know what? Go to the back of the temple. There will be a line probably to show you exactly where. Once you're there, go through a door and you can take a test for-"

"A test?" Uno blinked, "What does there need to be a test for? Ain't there training first, or-"

"I know, I know," Nanbu waved his palms beside his head, "But this is to separate really talented kids from normal ones. It's not that hard. In fact, I think you'll do great."

"Okay-" Uno drew out gradually, unsure, before he slowly turned to the temple steps, "Ill's give it a try then."

Nanbu flicked his wrist, glancing at a grown man walking up to the table behind Uno, "Yeah, yeah, now go on."

"O-okay." He left, with only one more peek over his shoulder at the Captain unemotionally handed over a sheet of paper to the smooth faced young man, and climbed the temple steps. Once inside, Uno discovered it was as dark and dingy as he remembered on the day he first met Pino. He shivered and walked through the fog on the floor around the building's walls to the back. He followed Nanbu's instructions (and the disappointed cries of kids) and made it to the rough door that Nanbu said the test was held behind with little trouble.

Once there though, he had to swallow down a bubbling feeling rising in his chest and force his thick fist to rise to the surface of the door.

Uno rapped his knuckles on the door once, twice, before awkwardly looking down at his possessions slung over his shoulder and quickly lowered the pack and the wicker box against the wall beside the door frame to give his back a rest. When no one answered, he repeated the action, adding a "Hello? Is anyone in there?"

"Ohhh, come in," An unexcited and unhappy voice nearly groaned. Uno shifted his weight, nervously biting his lip a little, before he yanked it open and slipped inside, finding a group of sinister looking men staring at him through the poorly lighted room.

"What do you want?" A tall one, whose voice Uno recognized to be the one that moodily spoke through the door, narrowed his already small eyes and wiggled a cigarette between his thin lips, "You a recruit?"

The scant light from the rolled paper offered enough view of the man's face for Uno to see that the color in the man's eyes was off, black being where white should've been and a light-colored (almost glowing) brown orbs reflecting red ash and a tiny focused pupil.

"Y-yes, Sir," Uno looked around and noticed that no one else was in the room, test-taker wise. He was hopelessly alone without any sympathizing soul.

An extremely thin man with a pale face and freakishly long, blue-white hair leaned forward, hands folded behind him, and his face nearly cracked in half with his large mischievous grin, "Do you think you can pass?"

Uno couldn't see the man's eyes past the dark shades he wore, but he did see that he looked him up and down by the gesture of his head carefully nodding. The man finished sizing him up and added with a light hyena chatter that resembled laughter, "Out of the dozens of children going through here, only handfuls made the cut, and not a one of them was as porky as you."

Uno puffed out his chest, easily recognizing the insult that the man took no effort to try to cloak or sugar coat. The boy pinched his brows together into a glare and nearly shouted, "I's can try anything!"

Another man with short spiked up tan hair, by his clothing a Black Mage, sat up from crate in the corner and pointedly walked to Uno. He took in all the boy's features with critical, harsh, yellow eyes and finally sneered, turning to look at the tall one smoking a cigarette. "What do you think Captain Hoto? Worth anything?"

"Yes, Yes," The blue-white haired man repeated with a high pitched, airy voice and leaned even more into Uno's face, "Worth anything?"

"I think he could be strong like Nanbu," The one named 'Hoto', greasy, black hair slicked back to sit close and flat against his scalp and a slurring unkind voice that had hints to his unhealthy habit, rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "He obviously outweighs everyone that came in here today, as you felt you had to point out, Bask."

Uno stared uncertainly at the group of men and tried to hide the gulp sliding down his throat.

"Boy," A man in the dark shadows of the room spoke with a clear and powerful voice, beckoning him and commanding from the unseen space past the pillars of the room, "What are your skills?"

Uno couldn't help but answer, "Whut?" as he squinted into the depths of the room. Only the front part was lighted, dimly, leaving the rest as if it was covered with a black sheet.

"What are your skills?" The man hiding from him repeated, with forced patience, and added, "Go on and tell me or get out."

Uno lifted his chin and thought heavily for a few seconds, before roughly shaking his head, "I's got nothing," Uno shrugged, "I's never learned to fight good or any-"

The voice sharply cut in, "Now is not the time to be modest."

"I-" He desperately searched his brain, a thick hand coming up to scratch at his scalp. "I'm…good at fishing."

"Fishing?" The voice seemed surprised, almost amused, and Uno felt just a bit more confident as the tension eased in the room. Or at least it seemed that way.

He nodded, "And peeling potatoes. My Gramps said I had steady hands."

"Truthful," The voice chuckled, Uno smiling in relief that he could avoid an uncomfortable situation. The voice then humorously announced, "I like that. I think we can move on to more...pressing questions, shall we?"

Uno blinked as the other men, except Hoto, smiled faintly with the man speaking to him from the darkness.

The man leaned forward from the shadows, revealing a young face, perhaps in his late twenties, with dirty blonde hair. He had it cut short save for a slender braid falling down the side of his temple. His eyes were an unsettling gray-blue that didn't shine, and his thin mouth was pulled up into a sharp, arrogant smirk. To add to the ensemble of features, the man had a short well groomed beard and an ugly blotchy scar on his left cheek. Uno's back straightened when the man simply stated, "I'm Head Captain Uguro."

"Sir." Uno nodded.

"I told you my name because I am willing to try you out. If you should pass our little test, then you can train with us, the Elites." Uguro lifted his head higher into the air, the end of the small braid brushing against the scar, involuntarily bringing Uno's eyes to it. Uno realized his mistake, forcing his eyes to snap back up before anyone noticed he was being rude, to discover that the occupants of the room was staring at him intently. Uguro had acknowledged the misplaced eyes and roughly stroked at his scar with a grim smile towards the boy.

"Are you ready to take the test?" The Head Captain adjusted himself in his seat, half hiding himself in the shadows again.

Uno skimmed the room, looking for any clues, and was only met with evil smiles or solemn, bored faces, except the one named Hoto, who leaned forward with an indifferent expression and dug out another cigarette from his back pocket. Before the bright match that Hoto held in his slim fingers touched the tip of the cancer stick, Uno breathed out and nodded once, "Okay."

Uguro immediately snapped his fingers, and, in response, the Black Mage and the white-blue haired man grabbed Uno up by his arms. Uno struggled a bit, pure surprise in his eyes, before he pulled with all his might and felt the hands tighten against him.

"Hey!" He yelped in protest when a pinch of their fingers caught on his shoulder and dug painfully down.

"Whut is this?" Uno didn't stop in his effort to get away for a moment, though he was finding it increasingly hard to continue when the hands kept him solidly and efficiently held in place.

"Let's say…for instance… that we're rebels," Uguro stood up and strode to him casually, gesturing with a light flick of his wrist to everyone in the room. His tone was easy and natural as his hand trailed down to his hip and his fingers grasped around the hilt of his short blade, as he said, "-and you are a Yevon solider."

Uno gulped as he watched the blade being pulled from the sheath and give off a sinister glint in the dim light. Uno lifted his chin when the sword was maneuvered to hover just over his throat, the Head Captain leaning in forward with a raspy growl, "Now, answer my questions and you'll live."

"Whut?" Uno didn't take his eyes away from the sharp, silvery blade but his voice was loud and bold as he nearly shouted, "Whut kinda test is this?"

"Shut up!" Uguro barked and smacked his face with a blunt side of the short sword. Before Uno could even recover from the shock of the blow, Uguro yelled, "Now, what is your name?"

"Uno Mydo!" He puffed out his cheeks, still feeling the distinct heated pain in them, "I's don't care 'bout this stupid test anymore. Let me go!"

"Are you in a position to demand things?" Uguro squinted his eyes at the boy's face for a moment, seemingly trying to identify something he had seen in it, before he lowered his voice to a tone that came from deep in his throat. "Mydo? That sounds familiar..."

"Mydo is my grandfather's name," Uno lifted his chin, "I's am his…son."

"Son? You are your grandfather's child?" Uguro rubbed his chin again, "That is the best story I ever heard."

"He took care of me since I's was a baby," Uno gulped and attempted to explain, "I's don't have'a last name, so I took his."

"No last name, eh?" The Captain smirked, "Where are they now, may I ask?"

There was a few seconds of heavy silence before Uno's voice, low and ridged, clearly formed the word, "Dead." It dropped like a weight from his mouth. Immediately afterward, Uno stood on his tip toes as the sword pointed higher.

"Have you ever dealt with scary things?" Uguro dug the tip into his skin slightly, his tone babying, condescending, "Ever thought you were going to die? Ever witnessed death?"

"I's saw my grandparents die. Y-yevon soldiers k-killed-." Uno tried to escape the sharp point pressing into his skin, he felt a prick of pain and knew a drop of blood dotted his tanned skin now. Uguro twisted his lips, clearly listening, but was unsatisfied with the answer because he didn't release the pressure. Uno gulped and quickly spat out, "I's also saw my best friend get shot in the head and her brother too."

He lowered his shoulders when he was done, the sword slightly moving away from under his chin. Uno looked down at the Head Captain's boots. He hadn't been forced to actually _say_ anything about the incident for years now. Though far from forgetting about it, Uno had become accustomed to never mentioning anything about the bloody night.

"So sad…" Uguro's sarcasm hit a nerve in Uno's temple and the boy shot his face up with a grimace.

"I'm not scared of youse," He bit his lip as the sword pricked his skin again.

"You should be," The Captain narrowed his eyes, "In the mind that I am a rebel…I ask you where the Measter is, what do you say when you know the answer?"

"…"

"Is your silence because you don't know or you don't want to say. You can answer now." Uguro took the sword away from his neck, then impatiently waved it in the air by his face, "But do it quickly."

"…"

"Is that how you want to do things now?" Uguro replaced the sword, "And if I were to stab you now for your insolence? What of that?"

Uno's eyes flashed, "Youse can't do's that!"

"Why not? You just revealed yourself your identity. Mydo was a rebel leader and you are his 'son'. How are we to know you aren't following in his footsteps?" Uguro twisted the sword in his palm, "Hmm?"

"I's want to protect people, I's want to follow the teachings of Yevon!" Uno fearfully shot out in a breathless line, his mouth opening wide, "I want to be brave like my Gramps, but I don't want to protest against Yevon like 'im!"

"Anything else?"

The tone was bored, un-amused.

"I want to see Spira as a good place," He swallowed as the sword bobbed upward, "I want to see it safe and happy."

"Happy?" Uguro finally removed the sword, a confused expression on his face, "What an odd thing to say at death point."

Hoto smirked from the crate he sat on, "What the hell. Let him in, he seems to have a boldness in him. We could make something with that. Even you must agree, Head Captain?"

Uguro looked at the direction of the oily voice with a slight frown, before looking back at Uno with critical and narrowed eyes.

"He is a little chunky though," The white-haired one cackled, and shook Uno's arm that he held, "He's heavy!"

"Let him go, Kodai," Uguro nodded to the Black Mage and he released his side. Then the captain turned to the white-haired man, "Now you, Bask."

"Done!" He chirped and held his ghost white hands beside his face.

Uno rubbed at the places the hands had held him, his knees shaking, but he watched the sword with dull eyes and turned his body, ready to run back if it moved again.

"Now, boy, do you know what an assassin is?" The Head Captain swung his blade through the air, causing Uno to flinch, before the boy realized with a crisp _shink! _that he was only sheathing his weapon. With it put away, Uno felt his bravery return.

"Yeah," Uno nodded, displeased at the whole situation and with the lot of them for grabbing and threatening him. It showed as his voice rose and he angrily yelled, "I don' wan' no part of anything sneaky!"

"Steady hands you said," Uguro smiled, though it held no warmth whatsoever, "Have you ever hold a recorder?"

"Why?"

"Because once we find an assassin partner for you," He smiled wider, "You can train to become one of the Elite Recorders."


	6. Sano is Put to the Test

**~By Stormytitan**

* * *

><p>"Oi!"<p>

The gangly preteen ducked just in time to narrowly miss a stick flying through the air. His long, thin legs pelted the ground hard as he gained more space between himself and those chasing him. His breathing was becoming hitched and his eyes were wide, but across his face was the excited and unmistakable expression of victory.

"Get back here, you little runt!" The woman who tormented him the most shouted after him, her skirts not at all slowing her down as she pounded the ground with her fat, heavy legs.

Sano couldn't help but expanding his smile, his rarely seen teeth exposed through his wide stretched lips. He shouted with the rough voice of a boy changing into adulthood, "Never!"

A dozen heads hovered in the barred and partially broken windows of the place he just escaped, eyes wide with disbelief and awe, as they watched his flight down the street and around the corner with the torturers hot on his heels. The battered faces were reflected through the dirty glass for minutes after he left, a loud and fast chatter slipping from the dark orphanage as they turned to each other with something they hadn't had on their faces in a long time; hope and admiration.

Sano couldn't care less what the others were saying about him, and thoughtlessly leaped into the air and over a line of trash cans with the grace of a long-legged boy. He took a second's time to turn on his heel and knock them to the ground, scattering their contents and dented bodies all over the alley, before he swiftly returned back to his fleeing.

He felt his lungs fill with something he craved all those years in Bevellian Hell…freedom.

The orphanage was getting continuously paid by the bastard Aryo, Sano found out earlier from the last passing winter, near his birthday in fact, for his continued imprisonment. Whatever the orphanage was planning to do with him when he was fifteen (the age when most orphanages gave up the children to make it by themselves in the wide world) he was surely not going to stick around for and find out. They'd most likely sell him to slavery or force him into the Army (his goal entirely) but he'd have to wait two more years for that!

Instead, as he learned earlier from the laundry man gossiping with one of the caretakers, recruiters for the Yevon Army were taking thirteen year old's now. He made his escape as quickly as he could, hearing the urgent news that this was the last day they were doing that.

He skirted the corner of a store and made his way to the colorful Temple he could see high in the city from the window above his bed in the orphanage.

Bumping past people, ignoring the cries of the caretakers behind him, and the people's demands for apologies or shouts of 'rude!', Sano never slowed down with the temple in sight. His lungs were on fire and his legs burned, his body was becoming weak, but his resolve hurtled him forward, distancing himself further from the sickening familiar insults and commands from the retched scum that resided in Hell.

Sano knew the goal for the Yevon Army was to make more elite soldiers by training boys early. Then, when they were fifteen, they'd all be ready to fight Sin. However, his plan greatly conflicted with theirs in the fact that as soon as he joined, he was going to free his brother, maybe grab a grenade or two and some rifles, and run back to the Moonflow to save their sister if she hadn't already realized what a scumbag she married. He also considered coming back to shoot the caretakers in the face before realizing he really didn't care about them at all. Once he was fully out of their grasp, he wouldn't ever care about their existence, continued or not.

He turned a sharp corner, smirking as he heard muttered cursing behind him...so far away behind him. His feet hit the concrete with a force that made him feel it all the way to his head. He was pouring sweat at this point but he couldn't find the time to care about that either, he was finally free!

The temple was insight and right in front of the brilliantly large decorated doors was the plain red table with a Yevon guard sitting bored behind it. He slowed down and trotted to the table.

In his excitement, he all but slammed his palms on the table, panting. "One sheet, please."

"Hmm?" The heavily muscled man raised a light brown eyebrow, "Did you say something?"

"Of course I said something!" Sano impatiently gasped, "I said 'one sheet, please.'"

"So," The man drawled slowly, his light caramel-hued eyes flicking over the thin and obviously grossly under-fed body, "You are…sighing up?"

"Yes, Yes, of course why else would I ask for a sheet?" Sano jerked on hand forward to hold it out, while wiggling his fingers in a demanding motion, "Now, one please."

The solider looked behind the boy before looking back at Sano, who was dripping sweat from his long, oily hair onto the table and carrying a menacing scowl for the lack of hurry on the Yevonite's part. The solider raised a brow again, "Did you run here?"

"That's hardly important," Sano rolled his eyes, and his voice took a mocking sort of rightoues tones as he said, "I want to be inducted into the just and holy service of Yevon, blah-blah-blah, is that what you want to hear?" He returned to his normal voice as he quickly spat, "I just want to sign. Now, where do I do it?"

"On this," The man scooted the last contract paper across the table. "Are you sure? You're pretty scrawny. It's tough to be a soldier, takes guts and muscle to-"

"I have plenty of guts and muscles can be developed through training," Sano snapped convincingly ( he had no plans on staying for that) and scrawled his name on the line, skimming through the words above it, before thrusting it in the man's face as he heard the angry shouts coming back into earshot, "Here, take it, I'm done."

"You now belong to the Yevon Army. Congratulations." The man smiled broadly, "Now you're in for the worst hell of your life."

"Nothing could make me happier," Sano smirked and threw the pen on the table. He glanced behind him and saw the caretakers zoom into his vision. He let out a beat of laughter, knowing that he 'belonged' to the Army now, and they couldn't do a thing.

"Alrighty, follow me then, skinny," The man motioned for him, which Sano joyfully did and quickly disappeared into the dark Temple.

The caretakers finally caught up with him at that moment, and he tossed up his middle finger before the crack in the heavy Temple doors finally shut out their mean, huffing faces from him entirely, forever. The heavy muscled man turned to see them just in time and nearly raised a brow at his rude gesture, before muttering in a gruff but amused voice, "Hey now, we're in a Temple."

The monks around them gave them both poisonous glares, but neither the man nor the boy seemed to notice this, much less care. Sano held his head higher, enjoying the cool air on his overheated and flushed face, before the voice beside him spoke again, "You good now?"

"Ah?" Sano said in slight confusion, feeling his chest finally come to a slow beat from his heavy breathing.

The man raised a brow again, before waving his wrist in the air-

"If you are, down that way." He then pointed to one of the back walls, around the huge center lift that Sano's eyes landed on (He had never been in the temple before in his life) and then offered to lead him there. Sano made a quick nod and pushed himself forward, his legs now feeling like lead.

They came to a dimly lit hallway, walking to what seemed to be the very back of the Temple (how big was this place?, Sano thought) and stopped by some disgruntled preteens and guards ushering them past. One of the guards grabbed Sano's thin arm in a vice-like grip, and an angry snarl escaped from Sano's sharp lips, "Hey!"

"He's with me," The man that lead him in lifted up his beefy palm, putting it in the other guard's face to get his attention which the boy noticed, to his amusement, the hand was bigger than the other guy's head. He was released, and Sano waited for the guard to walk away with a kid in his other hand before asking-

"What's this for?" Sano looked around, noticing some thirteen year old's cursing on how they 'couldn't make it' before being pushed down the hallway.

"Nothing special." The man grinned in a wide teeth revealing smile, "But this test here is what'll separate you from either the Elite Soldiers, like me," He said this with some pride in his voice and a hand to his chest, "Or the normal garden-variety men that shoot weapons and are excellent bullet sponges in rebel skirmishes."

Sano lifted a brow, and mockingly asked, "If you're Elite, then why were you sitting at a table signing brats up for the Army?"

The man frowned and lifted his chiseled chin up in the air, "I punched a man's face in and he's hospitalized now, so I was in punishment-" Sano gulped before the man smiled and asked, "Any other questions?"

Sano looked to the rough door along the wall and shifted on the balls of his feet. The man coughed into his fist before asking casually, "Think you can pass anything they give you?"

The boy smirked without thinking. He was always different, a cut above the rest, so he knew whatever test they could give him he'd pass it. Unless of course it was a strength test of some sort. That was something he was obviously no good at.

The man saw and boisterously laughed, "Confident are we? Well then, try your luck!" The man swooped a heavy arm out and practically punched the door in, opening to an even dimmer lit room. He put a huge hand on Sano's shoulder blades and effortlessly guided the boy into the room with shuffled steps. Once Sano was over the threshold, he announced in an earsplitting boom, "Last one, Hoto!"

"Oh shut up," A greasy voice hissed and then spat, "Don't just walk in here Nanbu, we might be testing someone already."

Seemingly unfazed, the thick-set man lifted a brow, "Are you?"

Sano followed the soldier's eyes to a slim shadow poised above a rough-cut crate. Sano started to squint to make out the man's features before a flick made Sano jump, realizing how quiet the room suddenly was, and a small flare of light illuminated a narrow unfriendly face that brought the light to the end of the rolled paper bit harshly between his teeth.

The light was waved away and Sano watched the bluish smoke rise lazily into the air.

'Nanbu', the apparently Elite Yevonite, coughed again and then made a 'hmm-urm!' sound to get the shadow's attention again, a dot of dim red marking where his face was.

"What?" The greasy voice slurred from his perch, and Sano stiffened. The voice was annoyed, not at all pleased, and the tone used spoke of danger. It was a voice similar to the stupid, fat woman after he dared to ask a question (Why do you bother keeping me if you hate me so much?), and instead of an answer he got a black eye.

"Hoto," Nanbu started, and Sano ingrained the name into his brain, "Where's the Head Captain? And why do you sour-pusses like to sit in the dark so much?"

Heavy steps thumped away from Sano and something was yanked hard. A weak light flickered on with electric snaps and a greenish-yellow light fell sporadically into the center of the room. Sano saw two more men besides Hoto; a grim-faced Black Mage (judging from his dark maroon robes) and a very young man (compared to the middle-aged looking men in the room) with a tightly wound braid falling down the side of his head and a humorless expression that was accented by his dark blotchy scar across the left side of his face.

"There," Nanbu received the glares and annoyed blind-blinking without worry, "Now I can actually see what the Hell is going on!"

"Way to kill the mood Captain Nanbu," A high pitched voice shot out from behind Sano and he whirled around to see narrow white skinned hands claw through the air and grip his shoulders tightly. He snapped his head up quickly, expecting to see a skeleton to own such horrific appendages, only to see a soft, slightly round face and a wide manic grin behind long bands of white hair that fell into the shade-covered eyes.

"Oh, Oh, I'm sorry, did I scare you?" The man, appearing to be an Alchemist (strange since he didn't appear to have any dirty Al Bhed descent in him), smiled through thin, cracked lips, "My name is Bask, don't be frightened."

"Who ever said I was frightened?" Sano jerked away only to run into purple cloth. Looking up he saw a middle-age face with a sneer plastered on it, the Black Mage that had noiselessly, despite the hard and gritty floor, made his way to directly behind Sano in little to no time at all from the other side of the room. Sano met the mean, yellow eyes before turning around and jumping to the side to get out from between the both of them.

"That's Kodai," Bask said in a conversational tone and nodded lightly, "I'm so glad your our last one. You see, we've been here since the beginning of the season, and I'm rather tired of it all!"

"All the more reason to get this over with," The young, crater-faced man spoke up with a cold, irritated voice, and rose slowly from his seat on a couple of cloth-draped crates. "Kodai, Bask- if you two will kindly stop screwing around and get to it."

"Ah!" Sano's shoulders were seized up by the Black Mage, who was behind him again when he blinked, and Bask's boots quickly kicked the dirty floor to take one arm from the Black Mage. Sano stared at both of them with a heated glare before snarling, "What the hell is this? Part of the test?"

"Oh, a smart one." The alchemist laughed like a crazed hyena, "I'm sooo~ thrilled! He's the only one who caught on so fast!"

"Don't be too impressed. He's got an attitude and he's nothing but skin and bones. I don't see what we can do with him." Nanbu smiled as he said it though and leaned into the rough door frame, still open and showing that no one was within helping distance of the boy.

"Captain Hoto was skinny the first time we had him in," Bask pointed a clawed finger at the slender figure who was still indifferently smoking at his cancer stick in his mouth with slow, sluggish puffs. Sano noticed for the first time, in the more adequate light from the sickish bulb hovering in the center of the room by a cord, that where white should have been in the man's eyes was a light-less black, and the color was an orangy-brown that seemingly glowed with the scant light it absorbed.

"Now," The young man from before pulled a sword from his belt with a yank and ringing sound of metal on metal, "Let's get on with the test, eh?"

"I don't care about that," Sano hissed and narrowed his eyes, his skin prickling at the sinister sheen dancing over the stained metal of the blade. He yanked at his shoulders and bit out, "Just stick me in the normal ranks for all I care."

"You don't even want to try?" The man stood straighter, his sword clutched tightly in his hand, with look on his face that may have been disappointment.

"What happened to all that confidence?" Nanbu's gruff voice asked curiously.

"Screw all that," Sano snapped, "I'm only here to look for my brother..." Sano then took a shot at the dark, wondering if they knew him, "Yagi Trenraka."

The man with the sword widened his eyes, clearly surprised, while Sano saw and heard everyone stiffen in the room. He smiled, so they had heard of him! A dart of motion caught Sano's eyes and he looked around to see Hoto finally stand up, his sharp narrow eyes squinting as his voice hoarsely pushed past the cigarette in his mouth, "Why?"

"I need to look for him!" Sano jerked forward, his voice bitingly angry at their lack of usefulness to him. _Are they thick? It's simple enough!_ He nearly freed himself and glared at the occupants of the room, and found that he suddenly didn't care what they thought or did as he triumphantly yelled, "I've been through Hell to get here. I've got it all planned out. Once I find him, we're finally going home!"

"And if I told you he was dead?" Hoto's voice was heavy and somewhat quiet.

The words that were going to fly out of Sano's mouth instantly shot down his throat painfully, causing him to hiccough and audibly gulp as his brows curled upward above his quickly shining eyes.

"No!" Sano's voice ripped before he shook his head and growled, "You're lying. My brother isn't dead. I haven't been through all this crap for nothing!"

Hoto slowly blinked, the ash growing on the end of his cigarette as he made no movement to flick it away from him.

"Oh, he is," The blotchy-faced man cruelly announced in a sure, slightly entertained voice, "Being Head Captain, you hear all sorts of things from the ranks. Always problems." He smiled to himself, clearly remembering, "He looked a lot like you. He had a lot of attitude, always causing problems with constant absences, always whining 'I want to go home! I want to find my brother! I have to!' After a while that kind of attitude had to punished, they sent him to the front lines with the Crusaders to fight against Sin every time it needed to be done. He was clever enough to survive for a while but-...well, that luck didn't last forever as you could guess."

Hoto and Nanbu jerked their heads up from the pathetic form of Sano to stare at the cruelly amused voice of the Head Captain.

"SHUT UP!" Sano yanked himself free, landing on his knees, and his shaking hands curling into fists at his sides as he bared his teeth at the 'Head Captain', "You're lying!"

"He's not." Hoto inhaled the smoke from the cigarette in his mouth, the ash finally becoming too heavy and falling to the floor, "Yagi was…a good kid…he died last year."

"No," Sano stared at the dying light in the ash and mouthed, "I've been through Hell…"

It just wasn't possible. He was too late? The bottom of Sano's gut fell from him and he swallowed dryly, daring himself to try and let these bastards see his tears. His eyes shone brightly but nothing marked his cheeks as he kept it in. The silence was deafening and lasted for who knows how long, but it was finally broken by a cutting voice that Sano was surprised to see it belonging to Hoto.

"Head Captain Uguro," Hoto gestured his head lazily in Sano's direction, "He's no good. You might as well let him leave and-"

"Leave?" Sano snarled, "Leave to where?" He furiously jabbed the air in the direction past Nanbu and out into Bevelle, "Back there? If I leave, the orphanage will be right there to make sure I suffer for running away! No doubt they'll kill me this time! What do I have to gain from leaving?"

Hoto blinked, his cigarette barely hanging from his lips and threatening to fall out any second.

Uguro's voice turned Sano's attention back to him, "By the sound of it, you only came here for your brother, who is now dead. Whatever life you had before doesn't concern me, but it seems to me you have very little to gain by staying as well."

"I can live that way, can't I?" Sano glared daggers at him, his mouth pulling into a deep scowl.

"It's not much of a life," Uguro sneered, before his mouth pulled into a sadistic smile, "You will be owned. No choice will be offered to you. You will live as someone's tool. This is better than death?"

Hoto added, "It would be better if you...went home."

Sano swallowed hard. Home? It was unthinkable to go home. He'd have to face Mia alone and all because he couldn't make it to his brother in time. He hung his head and grumbled, "I can't go home now. The orphanage would find me all too quickly and make go back with them."

"Why-?" Hoto began but was cut off by Uguro-

"Does it scare you that, with one little word, I can send you off with no options at all? I can say, for instance, that we don't want you here, Elite or no. A bit scary, isn't it?"

"No," Sano stared through the top of his eyelids, suddenly feeling exhausted as dark emotions pooled into his chest and weighed him down. If the Army kicked him out already, the caretakers would snap him up without hesitation and, most likely, finish up what they wanted to do for years. They probably haven't even left the square yet, waiting for him to step out again. But, without Yagi...

It was his thought alone that had kept him alive for so long. Even after Edmond, after feeling hungry for years, after being bruised and battered, after constantly having to deal with their nasty remarks, his only reason for living was reuniting the remnants of his family again. Even the prospect of seeing Mia again was suddenly void of all joy, knowing that he couldn't look at her while knowing he was too late. And how would _she _look at _him _knowing that?

"You say this orphanage will kill you?" Uguro narrowed his light-colored eyes, no glint of pity in them,

"Aren't you desperate to join? For protection?"

"Do what you want!" Sano shouted suddenly. It was annoying how the man was wanting some kind of reaction from him when all Sano wanted to do was not feel anything at all. It hurt too much to feel. "What does it matter, if I live or die? You've already pointed out it's all on your decision! I know it, alright? Why don't you just do what you want?"

"Don't you want to live?" Uguro growled. "You're a bit to young to just accept death, don't you think?!"

"Other's have died sooner, whether they accepted it or not." Sano mumbled, "I have lost more than I ever wanted to, why should I care?"

"Because there's some things still worth living for," Hoto offered before flicking his cigarette butt away from him and grounding it out on the concrete.

"I don't care right now." Sano muttered and stared at the floor. The only family he knew he had was Mia, and there was the mysterious father of his too, but maybe they both died somehow. It would certainly fit the pattern.

"Why?" Uguro tilted his head.

"I don't know," Sano shrugged, "Is that all you have to do? Ask questions?"

Uguro smiled slightly, clearly amused, "Does death frighten you?"

His thin eyes closed in annoyance, "More questions?"

"More or less," Uguro pulled at the short sword at his side and held it the boy's skull. Sano didn't even flinch.

"Funny, you're quite a dark kid," Uguro chortled in his throat, "So do you want to die or live? Make up your mind, boy!"

"What do you care? We both know it's up to you." Sano spat, "Whatever is going to happen, will happen anyways. I'm purposeless and I suspect the Yevon Army will give me some. If not, what does it matter if I die?"

Uguro re-sheathed this sword slowly, his expression mixed between disappointment and amusement, "Well, we don't usually take kids like you, but sometimes kids like you can turn out some use."

Sano sneered and waited for him to speak again.

Uguro mouth fell into a straight line, "Last question."

"What is it?"

"Are you familiar with assassins?"


	7. Their Paths Merge: Sano

**~By Stormytitan**

**This part is told from Logos's (Sano's) perspective but it is when his and Ormi's (Uno's) paths merge into a wonderful story. Yay! Now throw away the emo! *hopefully***

* * *

><p>Sano slumped to the bed slowly, rubbing his face. What was the point in this anymore? Letalis was dead, Yagi was dead, their mother was dead, Gem was never even alive to die, and he'd rather die than face Mia with the news of the most recent death.<p>

For the last two days after the test he hadn't even done anything of importance. He was sent to the hospital for exams, was diagnosed with malnourishment (oh really? Sano had replied sarcastically) and had spent that time being cared for by sugary, pitying, and sickeningly kind nurses and White Mages. Then he had spent any free moment being hassled by Captain Hoto about how stupid he was for not just going home as the man helped him prepare for training.

Sano reached over his scalp and tugged his long black hair free from the string that kept it tied up. He had barely been allowed to keep it…

"_No!" He jerked away from the balding, bearded man holding the clippers._

"_What is it now?" Hoto sucked in another unhealthy gasp of cigarette smoke and turned from watching Sano in the mirror to look at him directly._

_Sano covered his head with his arms, acidly hissing at the barber, "Don't cut it. I want it long."_

"_Yevon policy says shaved heads while training. You can grow it back later." Hoto blew the excess smoke from the corner of his mouth, "Stop your whining."_

"_I need it, it's the only thing that I have that makes me remember what my mother looks like and I'm not about to let some dolt cut it away." Sano breathlessly heaved out the words and poisonously glared at both the barber and the dark inverted eyes of the Captain that watched him intently. The boy sunk his head further down into his shoulders to fight for every inch of space away from the electric razor before solidly stating, "No."_

"_Fine," Hoto shook his head and ran long fingers through his slick black hair, "Have it your way, brat."_

"_Sir, the policy says…" The barber began but was cut short by a lazy flick in the man's wrist. _

_"I know that_. _Let me deal with it," Hoto tossed the third cigarette he had inhaled that hour away from him, and turned on his heel to look to the back of the military barber shop, "BASK! Stop messing with the shampoos and let's go."_

"_Oh, Yesss~Captain Hoto sir!"_

A captain? Pathetic. The man seemed to do nothing but smoke in endless amounts of cigarettes and glare at people with a horrible scowl that was permanently glued to his damn, snide face. He had a voice that sounded slurred in every thing he said and he was annoyed with anything, anyone said.

Sano had been stuck with him for the last two days, that man apparently having been put in charge of seeing he was cared for and made the necessary requirements, and in that time had learned to hate him. He was laid-back (surprising since he somehow made it to the rank of Captain) and was seemingly always lazy, taking forever to make any form of action even when he knew what needed to be done. And if that wasn't enough to earn Sano's dislike, this Captain Hoto constantly reminded him how screwed he allowed himself to be by joining the Army instead of going home.

"What a complete hack," Sano mumbled then turned into the pillow of the bed. The bunks at the Bevelle training barracks seemed to posses the same qualities of the beds in the orphanage, sharing the same cold metal frames and how they were lined up against the wall in the same way. However, the military beds were bunks, with another bed on top, and the pillows and blankets weren't itchy and reeking of midnight accidents.

_You'll never make it- _Sano was sure that was the message the Captain was trying to pass along and it rang through his head as he laid there. Even if it was out of pity, Sano only found annoyance in his curt way of showing it. Finally, Sano had said goodbye to him as he was finally cleared out of the hospital and showed to the barracks for the very first time. Sano slowly closed his eyes, his arms crossing over his lean stomach, as he hoped that he would have minimal involvement with the Captain from here on out.

"Whoa!" A loud voice marveled above him.

Sano's eyes twitched open and glared hard at the idiot that leaned over him and dared to disturb him at all. Sano was alone moments before, but as he observed past the fat hulk of flesh that blocked most of his view, others were shuffling in with sweat stained shirts, chattering loudly.

Sano opened his thin eyes fully, still holding the sharp squinty look, before looking up at the round face that had dumbly awoken him. The boy had a lightly tanned and fleshy face, large black eyes that didn't seem to go too deep, and his hair was black but was, of course, shaved close to bald.

"What do you want?" Sano grimaced at how close the boy was leaning over him, the smell of his workout wafting into his nostrils and stinking.

"I's thoughts youse was a girl for a minute!" Uno near about roared after hearing the deeper, clearly boyish voice and thankfully gave him a bit more space, though he didn't leave altogether, much to Sano's displeasure, "How'd youse keep your hair?"

"I take great offense to your absurd comment," Sano hissed as his only reply and rolled over, "Now leave me be!"

"I been here for weeks now an' ain't seen no one that still kept their head," He boomed out loudly, "How'd youse do it? Huh?"

"Go away, you pest," Sano all but moaned before he stiffened. It sounded like he was talking to Yagi, he realized, which only made him sink lower into his failure of his mission. He moved and he felt the scrap, the letter piece that so long ago was thrown into a fire, rustle in his pocket. Maybe he would look for his father after all.

His hands lifted his to his face and his tightly closed his eyes.

"Hey! Youse ain't asleep are youse?" Uno touched Sano's shoulder.

The thinner one's hand flew out and grabbed the side of Uno's thick neck. It pinched and half choked him into a submissive position onto his knees, Sano's arm leaning over the edge of the bed, before Sano narrowed his slits for eyes and gritted his teeth at the boy, slurring, "Have you every heard of the saying 'Let a sleeping dog lie?' I'd be more than pleased if you didn't touch me."

"Okay, Okay," Uno shook his hands in the air, "I's get it. No touching, Yeesh!"

Sano released him and plopped back on the bed, his small pack from the orphanage thumping against his leg. He laid stiff as a board against his mattress before sighing and reaching for the pack. It only held one shirt, a sock, and something he dug inside for. His fingers found the familiar shape and brought it out, revealing a small white stick lightly pinched between his fingers, and brought it to his lips.

He hadn't been allowed to smoke in the hospital wing, so he took the opportunity now.

"Izzat a cancer stick?" Uno leaned over him again, Sano finding to his greater annoyance that the dolt had yet to move from his spot, "Where'd youse get it? Captain Hoto?"

"No," Sano sneered at the name and fished out a lighter from his back pocket, "I stole it from the orphanage I lived at."

"You lived at a bad one, huh?" The boy seemed to pity him, making his anger flare.

"Is there any other one?!" Sano snapped and flicked the lighter to flame, "Now, go away, whatever-your-name-is."

"Uno. Hey, does zat taste any good?" Uno leaned closer and pointed to the cigarette that was lighted into an orange burning glow, "Hey? I's always thought the smoke smelt bad. Does it taste bad too?"

"See for yourself," Sano held out the stick and let his hand and body flop dead-weight back into the bed when Uno took it. "Now, shut up and leave me alone."

He heard Uno suck in, then a series of hoarse coughs, before a booming, "Oh, Uck! It does not taste good at all!"

Sano closed his eyes, the air feeling stuffy all around him now that the kids were conversing friendly-like and the idiot to the side of him had yet to take a hint. Life was going to suck from then on, he told himself.

At least the army gave him a purpose though. Something to do that didn't demand much thinking. There was always his mysterious father also, but as he drifted farther from his family, so did the feeling of wanting to meet the man at all.

"Hey," Uno tapped his shoulder again, "Youse can have this back."

Sano pinched the butt in between his forefinger and his middle, and stared at it for a second. His body craved it but he was clearly weighing whether or not to bring it back to his lips after Uno had it in his. When the craving was heavier, he shrugged and stuck it back his mouth and sucked in the sickeningly relaxing fumes. He was going to be like that Captain Hoto guy some day, that was depressing.

"So…I's didn't catch your name."

"Sano."

"My name's Uno!"

"You already said that." Sano glared at him and flicked the ashes onto the concrete floor.

Uno smiled and rubbed the back of his head, "Oh, yeah."

"Idiot." Sano sucked in heavily and the end went a bright red before turning to white ash.

"Im's no idiot!" Uno seemed put off by the insult, "I'm just tryin' to be nice to the new guy! What I woulda gave for someone to be nice tah me the first day!"

"I didn't ask for it, now shoo," Sano flicked his wrist repeatedly, dismissing him, "Be gone."

"Uh, no, because this is my bunk," Uno pointed to the bunk atop of the lower one that Sano laid in.

Sano rolled his eyes, and did nothing to disguise his sarcastic, "Great, just great."

"Well," Uno put his hands on his hips, "If youse wants me tah leave youse alone, youse coulda just said so!"

Sano massaged his temples, feeling an irritated headache growing, "I have said so..._repeatedly!_"

"I'm jus' trying to be nice. Youse know's, make some friends and all-"

"I'm not here to make friends! You'd think you'd figure that out by yourself!" Sano carelessly discarded his cigarette on the ground before turning on his side, his back to Uno, to motion that he was going to sleep.

"Well, I'm not here to argue so's there!" Uno received the cold message and ascended the metal rungs of the ladder with as much grace as he could muster, which was nonexistent. He plopped into the top mattress and the whole frame seemed to creak under his weight. Sano inched away from the center in case he had to make a quick break for the floor if the bunk caved in on top of him.

Uno tossed and turned to adjust himself just right. He rolled on his side, then his back. His other side and then his back again. He tried his stomach then…

"For the love of all things in Spira! Switch me and end it!" Sano rammed his foot into the sinking mound above him that would be the mattress dipping under the heavy weight when the annoying creaks continued even after Uno had laid down.

"Okay, Okay," Uno hopped to the floor and settled below with little creaking as he sank to his stomach on the mattress. Sano climbed up into the bunk in one long-legged stride, and laid back with a suddenly exhausted body. Idiots had a wonderful knack for wearing him out. Sano dimly wondered how they managed it as he reached back into the pack he swung down to the foot of his bed.

Only three left…he should probably save it but what the hell. Maybe he could just steal some from that Hoto guy, he seemed to have plenty.

Sano bit into the soft end and flicked at his lighter.

"What are you doing?" A soft, timid voice came from the side of him, on the top bunk of the neighboring bed.

Sano blinked. The kid had a quiet, always unsure, look about him like Edmond did, with terribly ghost-white skin and freckles that stood out from the surface of his face. This kid's hair was a lot darker though, an almost unmistakable red fuzz from the buzz-cut that gave an illusion that the kid's skull was bleeding. Near neon-green orbs peered large-eyed across the space and waited for an answer patiently. As if his appearance and manners were an insult to him, Sano curtly threw out, "Smoking."

"Are you supposed to?" The boy was twitching slightly, his thin body turned at an angle to see Sano better.

"Light's out!" Someone called and all the lights followed the command of the young boy that had shouted it. Sano could still see the boy's head turned in his direction so he lifted a brow and wiggled the stick in his lips.

"Want one?"

"Uhm, I don't smoke but hey," The kid shifted and flipped his neck to look down below him, "Jac, you smoke, right?"

"Yeah, having withdraws," A high pitched voice answered back, "What about it, Groto?"

"New kid's got some." Groto motioned with his eyes over at Sano who glared hard him through the darkness.

He inhaled and tapped the end, making the ashes fall to the concrete below and icily replied, "I was joking, I didn't want to share."

"Oh, sorry then," Groto shied away from him, before whispering, "He was kidding, Jac."

"I heard," Jac answered and rolled over in his bed, muttering, "Prick."

Sano ignored them and laid back again, fingers touching his lips, and his cigarette balanced between his digits as he stared at the ceiling.

The smoke trailed off in a random direction and he slowly blinked, tiredness creeping on his mind slowly. He puffed at the last bit of stick before hanging his hand off the bed, and slowly, let it slip from his fingers to the floor. He felt his chest constrict, as it had been doing for the last two days when he tried to sleep, and Sano swallowed and lifted himself up from the mattress to tuck his feet beneath the blankets. He looked around, carefully studying every sleeping face to verify their states, before sighing with relief that he was, in a sense, alone again. His stomach pulled towards his chest painfully and he shut his eyes, banning every thought that would ruin his indifference he was struggling to obtain.

He swallowed again, feeling it roughly move down to his aching chest. He wasn't directly thinking about it, but he could feel it threaten to appear soon unexpectedly, biding it's time to attack him when he was asleep, weak, and vulnerable. Sano shook his head, trying to fling every thought about death and what he had failed to accomplish out of his head. When he stopped, he still felt it burning under his skin, the dark thoughts lurking to consume him. It was going to be a tough fight, Sano concluded, one that he wasn't so sure he could win. It was all Yagi's fault...

"Youse awake?"

It nearly made Sano jump out of his skin to hear the bumbling voice whisper through the still shadows. Apparently, not everyone was asleep.

"I'm about to sleep." Sano growled, his voice dry, "What do you want?"

"Got any tattoos?"

"What?" Sano rolled over and peered over the edge and at the mass huddled below him, which flinched as he snarled, "Why would I? That was a stupid question, I hope you know."

"I's always thought that kids that smoke have tattoos." Uno's plump lips offered a smile before lightly plunging into a slight down slope, "I guess I'm wrong, sorry then.

_What a bumbling idiot._ Sano scoffed than rolled back on the bed, closing his eyes he drifted, his mind repeating the phrase, evidently working as a spell in keeping his dreams away from his brother, sister, and everything he had lost for the first time in years.

* * *

><p><em>It was nice.<em>

Sano took a deep breath and felt himself weightlessly lay on the mattress.

_A round glass ball was rolling at his feet, and he watched it with hungry eyes, wanting to pick it up. He __**needed **__to pick it up. The orb of light was his to take, to claim, to earn. It was something that could be so rightfully __**his.**__ It was his triumph, his victory. It was a second of pleasure, of pride, and of a love for everything when he had begun to resent all that he had every known to love. It was remembering how to feel and being glad; wonderfully relieved that he had the ability to feel again, that he could, and was. _

_It was also snowing, but he was warm._

_**"Gaa-aaaahhhh, hra-gh, gaaa-aaaaagggghh,"**_

_Bloody hell?_

Sano opened his eyes and suddenly felt all pleasant feelings leave him, and as he tried to recall what had made him feel so warm and fuzzy, all he could hear was-

"Gaa-ahhhhh, hra-gh...gaaaa-aaaaah."

"Damnit!" Sano cursed before turning onto his side, trying to deafen the noise.

"Gah-haaaaaaaaa..."

He smashed his head into the pillow's surface with as much force as he could summon and groaned loudly.

The moron below him kept making an incredible amount of noise through his excessive night-time breathing and not even the pillow and the mattress between them could plug them out.

It sounded like the boy was drowning in his own saliva! He kept sucking in air and fluid caught in the back of his throat as the air passed to his lungs. It made this loud sound that could only belong to a complete idiot.

"What's your name? UNO! Roll over or something!" Sano leaned his body over the edge and hung in the air by his waist. He crossed his arms when he didn't receive an answer and scowled, "Hello? Urgent message from 'Need to Sleep' for a Mr. 'Shut Your Gaping Mouth!'"

Even the raised pitch in his voice didn't do a thing in rousing the snoring mass.

Sano swung himself closer and poked the lard's shoulder with an added, "Special delivered!" to his earlier joke before swinging back, waiting for a reaction. This time it woke him up, though Uno had no clue what was happening.

"What? Youse wanna know where the bathroom is?" Uno yawned and rubbed his round eyes, a finger lifting and pointing vaguely in one direction, "It'z thata way."

"No, I want you to stop snoring. Turn over or something so I can't hear it," Sano made a spinning motion with his hand to signal that he wanted it done quickly.

"Oh, sorry," Uno then did as he was told, "I's didn't means to wake youse up."

A few, isolated chuckles and laughes rang out through the darkness, having heard the conversation between them.

"Whatever," Sano pulled himself up and sighed sadly. He had a feeling he wasn't get back to whatever that dream was now, and he stated his disappointment with a quiet, "It doesn't matter anymore."

"Ah," Uno nodded, not really hearing what Sano had said before yawning out, "G'nite then."

Sano rolled his eyes instinctively and crossed his arms. His scowl lifted to a straight line a couple of seconds later when the thought drifted into his mind, _When was the last time I heard that? 'Good night'. It never was at the orphanage so it must've been back home. _

"Good night." He whispered back but the noise had already resumed. He groaned and rolled his eyes, twisting the pillow around his head.

* * *

><p>"Hey, youse gotta get up now," Beefy hands pushed into his side, shaking him, before they pulled away from him as if they landed on something extremely hot, "Huh? Youse up?"<p>

"Leave me alone," Sano retracted the glare he shot Uno a bit and sat up, rubbing his eyes with his palm. It was only a few hours ago he even started to drift off to sleep again, and it was dreamless sleep. He glared daggers again at the cause before snapping, "I'm up."

"Okay," Uno smiled weakly, clearly offering peace again, "Hey, wanna get breakfast with me?"

"I'd rather go by myself." Sano stretched his arm across his chest, his eyes pinched shut before opening one eye slightly at the crestfallen idiot, "Look, like I said before, I'm not here to make friends."

"Yeesh," Uno's smile dropped and his shoulders raised to an offended pose, "I's thought youse were only having a bad day, but now I's see's youse are just mean."

"Yep, don't want to be friends with a mean person now do you?" Sano smirked, his voice a high pitched and sardonic slur, "Now you'll probably leave me alone right?"

"Fine," Uno sunk back to the floor, his hands slowly sliding off the edge of Sano's bunk, "Whatever youse want."

"Hey," Groto popped his ghost head over the other edge a few moments later, happily chirping, "It's time for-"

"I know," Sano cut him off with a cold and leaden voice, "Now leave me alone."

After Groto sidled away towards the one named Jac's side, Sano closed his eyes for a few seconds and pushed himself to look for his boots. When he roughly shoved his narrow foot into it and yanked hard at the laces, he ventured a peek at the other boys that were getting dressed below him. Finding something odd, he curiously turned back to the thick-skulled idiot and spoke up.

"Hey, isn't there supposed to be a wake-up call or something like that? I thought that's how these military things work." He looked around at the boys who leisurely prepared to head down to the mess hall again before shaking his head. If this was going to be the army's expectations than this wasn't really going to be as hard a life as Captain Hoto was painting it to be.

"Yeah, Capt'n Hoto did it though," Uno nodded and then shrugged, "He told us to take our time and wake's youse up since youse didn't even move when he walked in."

"Is he bad at his job or just plain lazy?" Sano reached into his pack and grabbed the last stick he had, once again lighting up.

Uno blinked and watched the smoke carry off over their heads, "Uh? Oh, no, he's just uh...he does whatever he wants an' hasn't got caught yet, I's think."

"Hrm," Sano took a long drag that finished it off in no time, "I don't like him."

"Why? I's thinks he's a good guy," Uno took a step closer to the bunk, "Y'know? He don't yell at no one an' stuff like that."

"That doesn't make him right," Sano flicked the butt away,. "It seems to me he's a lazy bastard that doesn't deserve the rank he's got. My eldest brother was twice the soldier he was and he never even got close to Captain."

"Well..." Uno rubbed at his hands, "I've seen him be a good Capt'n too."

"Like when?" Sano smirked at his confused face the was clearly searching for an answer.

Uno shook his head, slight pain from thinking so hard vanishing from his face, before he changed the subject, "So, I's didn't know youse had a brother!"

"He's dead, Sin killed him." His frowned deepened, "And my other older brother as well."

"Oh, that must suck. Sorry." Uno rubbed his bald scalp, obviously regretting mentioning it.

"I don't want your sympathy." Sano hissed and jumped down from the bunk, landing hard on the floor. He straightened up and then sneered at the bubbly and detached face that pouted ever so slightly, asking in a slurring voice once more, "Are you done sniveling?"

Uno's angry face came again, "Whatever. Jus' trying to be nice an' stuff."

"It isn't worth it," Sano pushed past him towards the bathroom, "We're soldiers now. Soon, we will be fighting Sin and getting ourselves killed left and right. It isn't worth getting attached. After all," Sano turned to look at all the faces that shot him nasty looks, "No doubt that not all of us will make it."

Uno frowned as Sano turned on his heel and kicked the swinging bathroom door aside, and mumbled out between his thick lips, "Ass."

* * *

><p>Outside was pleasant enough. Birds twittered among the decorated edges of the buildings' roofs and the boys from the night before disappeared far ahead of him on the stone pavement. The few he did see when he was exiting the bathroom hurried to leave him behind, which suited him just fine since he preferred being alone now. It didn't even bother Sano in the least that they shot him the dirtiest of looks every chance they got for telling off the moronic, fat kid either. It was all worth it, because they were easily ignored and he could have silence and moment's peace by himself without them.<p>

He smiled as he slowly made his way down the stone path, knowing that he was 'free' for the first time in a long time. Granted, he'd be serving the army which left him little options as Hoto so gladly mentioned, but he was free to make some of his own decisions. Which was more freedom than he had in the orphanage.

Any money he earned was his to keep, and he received clean clothes and new boots, so he finally felt comfortable. He ate regularly and he didn't have to dodge any indiscriminate attacks either. He wasn't required to think, only do, which was alright with Sano so he could concentrate on repelling all thoughts of his past away from him. It was too painful to hold onto.

He looked up at the blue sky as a wind passed over his head, making his long hair go with in it's wake. Really though, as nice as it was in this moment, did he want to be there? As satisfied as he was without thinking, he knew his brain wouldn't stay pleased with that for long. He loved thinking before and valued the ability to do so. But unfortunately, at this point, he had no choice. Sano hated to admit that Hoto was right, but perhaps the man wasn't entirely wrong either. Sano would only crave more freedom sooner or later and he wouldn't have it here.

But, without the army, where in all of Spira would he go? He certainly couldn't travel to the Moonflow alone, he barely knew the route let alone had the money to fund such a trip. What little money he had now couldn't even by him a decent shirt.

Yevon was the only thing left for him now, maybe it was better this way. He'd just have to learn to deal with what was handed to him.

"Hey," A voice startled him, he turned to see Captain Hoto leaning against a wall, smoking again, "You know that there's no smoking in the bunks right?"

"How can you prove it was me?" Sano stuck out his chin, his spine suddenly stiff, "I'd like to see your proof if you have any, _Sir._"

"Ah, you made a funny," Hoto's frowned deepened, "You'll be surprised how much boys gossip on their way to breakfast. All I had to do was stand here."

"Well," Sano turned his body slightly and crossed his arms over his torso, "I don't see how they couldn't be lying."

"Uno was talking with them," Hoto inhaled sharply on the cigarette and then kicked himself off from the wall, "He never lies, I found out. So I'm planning on taking his little word for it."

"Damn," Sano's eyes narrowed, _That buffoon is surely going to be my main cause of strife. _

"Don't blame Mydo. You're the one who did it," Hoto seemed to look into his mind for a moment before he flicked the butt away. The Captain sighed and turned to walk the opposite direction from Sano, slurring with a lazy shaking in his wrist as he walked away, "But I'll let you off the hook."

"Why? Too lazy to do anything about it?" Sano scoffed, "It's not like you couldn't just have someone else punish me, being a Captain and all."

"Well, there's that," Hoto rubbed his cheek with his forefinger, turning to look at Sano standing in the middle of the path, before frowning dully, "And the fact that I'm not supposed to be smoking on base grounds."

Sano's eyebrow raised as the man yawned and popped his neck.

"Well, you better get to breakfast before the rest of the boys eat it all. Training starts today and we don't serve lunch," Hoto's mouth twitched upward slightly, "I expect you'll do well enough."

"Why the sudden encouragement?" Sano irritably growled, remembering all the time's the man had bothered him about 'getting out before it was too late' and 'go home already'. The boy took the man's words as teasing and glared at him because of it.

Hoto sighed again, looking at him like he was stupid, "Nothing boy, if you don't get it, that's fine."

"Get what?" Sano leaned forward as the man turned and walked back toward the way of the bunks. "Hey, get what, Old Man?!"

* * *

><p>"Hey," Uno waved, then dropped his hand at the boy's face, "Well, fine."<p>

"I told you-"

"I's know. Youse don't want to make friends." Uno frowned, his fat bottom lip slightly poking out, "Well, that's fine. All I was gonna say was that there's a spot for you there."

"Alright," Sano sat beside him and reached out for the bread in the middle of the table. Mostly everyone was done eating and conversing to the ones beside them in excited and anticipating tones.

Sano raised a brow again, "What's with them?"

"They's said there was gonna be an announcement to us new recruits today after breakfast." Uno nodded his head once before shifting in his seat, "They's said it was real important."

Sano bit into the bread and ripped a piece off with his teeth, muttering around the food with a sarcastic, "Goody."

Uno looked like he was going to say something defensive, clearly not liking Sano's negative tone, when his small black eyes rolled to the ceiling above them and he thumped against Sano's shoulder.

"What?" Sano bit and turned, seeing a tall shadow dully reflected in Uno's eyes and whirled his head around to see the man named 'Bask' standing behind him, smiling and looking down at him.

"My, My, you really _do_ look like him," The man clasped his hands together, "So much like Yagi Trenraka, it's amazing!"

"I'm his brother," Sano bit into the bread again, glaring upwards.

This only made the man smile wider, "Such an attitude too. Like him."

Sano pushed the last bit into his mouth, "I don't know why you have an obsession with my brother, but I would like it if you didn't focus it on me."

"Well," Bask patted his head, which made Sano flinch greatly, "I find you just as interesting little one."

"Bask!" Hoto came in through the door, "I said collect the kids, not go pedophile on them!"

"Pedophile? My! Such a meanie word!" Bask pushed at the shades over his eyes, covering the color Sano still couldn't see. He smoothly repostioned his hand over his black leather encased chest and whined, "I honestly think I'm hurt Captain!"

"Save it," Hoto took another step in and looked around, "Where's Jac?"

"Who?" Bask tried to remember the face he requested.

"The boy with short orange hair and an disobedience problem." Hoto spat and turned in a full circle before settling on Uno's round face.

"Where's the punk hiding?"

"Uhm," Uno sucked in his bottom lip and looked to the kitchen doors. Sano chuckled a bit in his throat, now it was obvious where the boy hid.

Hoto pushed the doors out of the way and entered. Soon came a yelp, a clatter of pots and pans, then he returned dragging a struggling boy behind him. Hoto whipped his arm around, dragging the boy with him, before standing him straight in the center of the front of the room. He looked him up and down with his creepy inverted eyes before holding out his hand, and greasily commanding, "Hand it over, whatever you took."

"I didn't take a thing," Jac's high pitched voice sharply denied.

"Is it a knife again?" Hoto grumbled before forcefully grabbing Jac's head and pushing it forward and down as he reached behind the boy to dig through the pouch attached to his belt.

"Hey!" Jac yelped and struggled, but couldn't shake himself loose from the Captain's grasp until the offending item was clutched in his gloved hand.

"You won't be needing this," Hoto flipped the butcher knife in his hand before stabbing the serving table, jamming the blade deeply into the wood with a sharp and easy '_Krsh!'_. "Don't think about stealing again."He warned as the blade rung and vibrated in the table top.

Sano then realized something as Jac was once again seated with the others...they're was only boys around...why was that?

"You are being presented with the wonderful option of getting emitted into the Assassin's Corp., remember? Only boys are allowed in." Bask leaned over Sano's body. He must've asked his question and thoughts aloud.

"Right," Hoto nodded once before looking at all the faces in the room, "Which brings me to my next order of business. We finally have the last Assassin that we are going to train, or consider training anyways." His dark eyes drifted over Sano before they darted off rather quickly, his tone extremely informative, "After I explain what the Assassin's Corp. is, some of you are welcome, and encouraged, to leave."

* * *

><p>"The Assassin's Corp. is a small unit of Elite soldiers that undergo specific, dangerous, and secret missions for the Yevon Army. As the name suggests, this Elite group is used primarily to carry out assassinations, but they also spy, conduct rescue missions, and aid in all normal military functions that require them. Our job is to root out all that may want to disrupt the peace of Yevon, and locate, destroy, and cover up their deeds."<p>

Hoto took a quick breath before starting again, seemingly trying to recall all he needed to say, "Each Assassin's Corp. member has the right to wield whatever weapon he chooses to specialize in, however, he will mainly handle a standard Yevon issued rifle that he will train with and learn to use without exception to the highest degree. Understand now that Assassin's Corp is something that very few know of and even fewer are allowed in. The group is to be kept a classified secret, even among the ranks of the Yevon Soldiers, for the efficiency of our missions and the secrets we are obligated to carry and protect. Because of this fact, you boys and the men of the Assassin's Corp. will have to disguise as normal 'Yevon Finest' soldiers and work as any solider in the army would, carrying out your duties as assassins when you are called upon, which can be at any time."

Uno started to fidget a bit but settled down when Sano poked him in his soft back, hard.

"You will report and answer to Captains, who are either aware of the Assassin's Corp. or a member of it, and they will command and assign you your missions until you are at a rank in which to command yourself. Some of you may have to constantly switch Captains to hide your positions." Hoto stopped and looked around, "Now, before any of you boys start to think that this is 'cool' or 'awesome' you have to know this...Once you are in the Assassin's Corp. you never leave until you are dismissed or die. If you try and leave your positions without the consent of Yevon high officials, for any reason, you will be promptly located and executed on sight as traitors."

Many of the boys seemed to gasp at this. One or two even seemed to lose their nerves.

Bask smiled and chuckled loudly, "~Oh~but it isn't all bad. All of you have no families...What's to miss?"

Hoto coughed and Bask closed his mouth, "We are specialized in the uprooting of entire rebel organizations. If you try to run, there is no doubt in my mind that we will find you. That is why it is now that you must make your choice. Leave and Kodai here will erase your memories of ever hearing anything about the Assassin's Corp. and you can go train with the normal ranks. Or stay, and work harder than you ever have to as an average Yevon solider."

Bask grinned as Kodai, the Black Mage from the test, walked in, and many of the boys stood and went to him without a word and avoiding eye contact with any of those still seated. After a while, more joined them and Kodai instructed them with a gruff voice to line up and stay silent.

After a good amount left, Uno let out a huge gust of breath and stood up, his face pulled into a tight frown.

Despite himself to care, Sano smirked and muttered, "I knew it."

Uno looked down at him, eyebrows making a rut in his forehead as they pressed toward each other, "Knew's what?"

"You'd leave," Sano leaned into his palm as his elbow rested on the table, "You seem to be the type to chicken out of a big thing like this."

"Hey! I's just wanna see Spira and go home to a friend a' mine! This thing here won't let me go an' I'll die if I's try an' leave? I's don't think that go's with mah plans at all!" Uno put his hands on his hips and stood straighter, "I's can't be going off an' dying! I's got's things to live for!"

"Whatever your excuse is," Sano shrugged indifferently and reached over to nab another piece of bread, "I don't care. All I said was I knew you'd leave."

Uno's round eyes narrowed and he felt his palms twitch. His face burned at the mocking face Sano used when he glanced at him again curiously, Uno speaking through gritted teeth, "Youse ain't calling me a coward are youse?"

"Oh, call it what you want," Sano smirked, "I suppose chickening out could be called cowardice depending on how you look at it."

He bit into the bread, feeling somewhat triumphant that he was finally getting under the kid's skin for all the pestering he had been doing since last night.

He added with a gleam in his eye when Uno said nothing, "Personally, yes, I think it's cowardice."

"Don' say that."

Sano looked up at the words with half lidded eyes.

"Or what?"

Uno felt heat rise up in his face, "I's don' like being called ah coward. I'm not. I'm jus' thinkin' 'bout what I's needs to do."

"Self preservation is completely understandable!" Sano turned back to the table with a slight shake in his hands, "I'm not blaming you! But, _I'm_ not afraid of whatever they're doing here. I don't care if you are one way or another."

"I'm what?" Uno twitched and he sucked in air to control himself as he felt more and more irritation.

"Scared." Sano rolled his eyes and sneered upwards, "Are you stupid too?"

"I'm not stupid," He leaned over the thinner one in front of him, who was still sitting down and already about to reach his height. Uno felt his knuckles creak as his hands rolled into tight fists. He hadn't been in a fight since the one with Ji, but he could feel that same boiling rage underneath the surface threatening to burst from his skin. He bared his teeth, "An' I'm not a coward."

Sano turned in the seat to look at him better and victoriously smirked, "I don't care if you don't think of yourself as a coward, but even you have to admit you're being a bit of a fraidy-cat when you run off scared. I say it's all the same! It still would make you a cowa-"

Something hard came in contact with his chin, and like the many times in the orphanage, he went flying to the ground from the force.


	8. Their Paths Merge: Uno

**~By Stormytitan**

**Uno's snoring in the last chapter is based off of true life. My little brother can cause an earthquake with his night-time rattlings! It's gawd awful! It's like fluid is caught in the back of his throat, but at the same time makes this high pitched ringing (LEGIT RINGING!) through his nose **_**as**_** he snores! It's just awful, awful, awful! But, it makes good fanfiction.**

* * *

><p>"Hey! Hey!" Hoto came around and grabbed at first Sano's shirt, then realizing who actually had the upper hand, went for Uno's shirt. "Don't fight in here! You're scuffing up the floors."<p>

Bask looked shocked for a second then smiled, "Ahh, Captain, why not let them fight?"

"What did I's ever do to youse, huh?!" Uno's fist crashed into the smug, narrow face that was pinched into an ugly snarl.

"Besides being a never-ending annoyance and a complete idiot?!" Sano dangerously narrowed his eyes, fire seemingly flashing behind his eyelids, before he reached up and palmed Uno's fleshy face and pinched as hard as he could. Uno grabbed a fistful of Sano's clothes and refused to let go even as the pain in his face started to burn. His other hand tried to wrench Sano's hand away from his face but the scrawny kid's hands were bent like claws and only dug into the softness of his skin.

"Everyone else got the hint to leave me alone! Why couldn't you?" Sano twisted his wrist and Uno yelped at the fiery pain erupting from under the fingers stubbornly attached to his face. His fist instinctively balled and he popped Sano in his eyes, effectively making him release him from his grasp.

"I was trying to be nice!" Uno barked before his voice suddenly cracked with choked breath as bony legs came up from behind and wrapped around his neck. He was pulled backwards and hit the table's benches as his skull cracked into it.

As soon as his back hit the linoleum floor, the skinny boy was on top of him and punching his face repeatedly with protruding knuckles that stuck out of his undernourished hands. Sano had sharp pointy elbows too that he used to his advantage as he jammed one into his throat to keep him from rising.

Uno's arm flew up and knocked him off to the side where they rolled over and over again, knocking into the benches and tables that lined the hall.

The boy named Jac sat up on the serving table and watched as they, in Sano's case, clawed and in Uno's case, whacked at anything they could get at on each other. Hoto leaned against the wall by the serving table and lit a white cigarette in his mouth.

"Just great, I shouldn't let them go at it. Might get me a good lecture later." Hoto sucked at the fumes and released the smoke from his mouth in an inelegant huff.

The red head of Groto sidled closer, his mouth a pursed line. He had, surprisingly, stayed and was getting closer to Jac to keep out of the brawling boys' way.

"Why don't you do something then?" Jac turned and looked at Hoto, his higher toned voice sounding a tad bit condescending.

Hoto shrugged, "I will in a minute. This is somewhat entertaining."

Uno grabbed the front of the opposing boy's shirt and lifted him in the air, standing to his full height. Sano's feet were still touching the ground when he bent his knees and brought it up to chest before kicking at the heavy gut in front of him as hard as he could. In response, Uno let out a big puff of air and bent over double, dropping Sano to his feet.

Uno and Sano locked eyes, gritting their teeth, before running forward and attempting to grapple the other onto the ground.

"Wanna stop them now, Captain Hoto?" Jac crossed his arms and shifted his eyes toward the man leaning into the table.

"Why? Head Captain Uguro coming?" Hoto exhaled a stream of white smoke and Groto swatted at the air around his face.

"N-no," Groto looked outside the window before staring back at the boys that wrestled each other with fiery eyes, " But, shouldn't we stop them anyways?"

Hoto seemed to take this in for a while as he dragged in a long breath, "I should."

Jac leaned forward and twisted his head, his eyes narrowing, "Are you?"

Hoto blinked slowly and watched for a moment as Uno punched into Sano's back as the lighter one tackled his middle.

"Yeah," Hoto sucked in more cigarette fumes, "I am."

Uno pushed Sano away and they stared at each other across the short distance between them. At the same time, as if an unspoken signal was given, they both charged and aimed a punch at the other's face. They both met at the same time, knuckles landing into the other's opposite cheek, forcing a tiny bit of blood to pop from their lips.

Hoto reached behind him and slowly drew a revolver from the holster that was situated against his backside. He took careless aim at the ceiling and fired one shot that caught the boys' attention.

"Alright, Ladies, are you done?" Hoto put the gun back behind his belt, "Hmm, yes? Okay then, let's see who's left."

"Are you still leaving?" Bask pointed a grayish white finger at Uno, "Hmm?"

Uno's eyes flashed to Sano, his pupils shaking with the adrenaline.

"No's I's won't," Uno stood straighter, Sano doing the same "I ain't leaving."

Sano sneered and wiped at his blood covered chin with the back of his hand, "Suit yourself, fool."

Captain Nanbu strolled in and lightly chuckled, "Well, Well, Uno. I came in here to see what Hoto was firing at and find that it's you and a scrawny kid fighting! And here I was thinking you were a pacifist."

"Oh, don't worry," Hoto's dark eyes grew more so as he narrowed them, "They'll learn discipline."

He looked around and quickly noted, "All five of them."

"Only five? Damn Hoto, how scary were you?" Nanbu scratched at his head, and stared at Jac, Groto, Sano, Uno, and at last, a boy that hadn't spoken before, "All of 'im don't look at all in shape."

"That's what you're for," Hoto stated, gesturing his head lightly at Nanbu and moving the stick in his mouth to the other corner as he turned to the door, "Enjoy your new trainees, Captain."

"Oh, I will…" Nanbu smiled, before turning the recruits, clapping his hands together and rubbing them greedily, "Ready, maggots?"

* * *

><p>"Traditionally," Nanbu marched in front of them as the boys stood at attention. "We test you all and see who is going to be recorders and who is going to be Assassins."<p>

"Recorders?" Jac said the world like it tasted bad in his mouth, "Why the hell would we do that? What are they for?"

"Hey!" Nanbu turned and frowned deeply, "Don't speak out of line. But I guess it would be a good question…"

He turned on his heel and started back, marching the length of the very short line, "Recorders, as we all know, take spheres, recordings, of important operations and missions. The Assassins Corp. is no different. Due to our more…secretive stance, we have to have very detailed records on what we do. The man who is a Assassin's Corp. recorder is no average one…He will be right beside the assassin and record his partner's every move. Average Yevon recorders couldn't do what they do." He smiled, "What I do."

Nanbu stopped in front of Uno as he walked back for the fourth time, "Steady hands right? Well, that will come in handy."

"I don't wanna be an assassin." Uno opened and closed his palms, they felt sweaty.

"Well, then a recorder would be a perfect job for you, wouldn't it?"

Uno's eyes searched his face before offering a small smile. If Captain Nanbu was a Elite recorder, it couldn't be that bad of a job.

"But, that depends on your skill, kid," Nanbu turned to the rest of them, "That goes for all of you! This isn't just 'handed out' or 'picked'. You have to earn it!"

"Sir!" The boys stood straighter, their voices (though few) barely matching up.

He shook his head, "Ugh, newbies…Okay, Kiddos, long story short, usually we split upt the teams based on a quick test of skill. But, this time is different, see? None of you has had even basic training. So this ain't in the bag just yet. You're trainees and if you don't show the hundred percent skill that we require from you, you're outta here! We don't need any punk-ass weaklings mucking up our operations and reputations, got it? We are Elite! And, we expect that from you."

"Sir!" The boys attempted to salute but were again off beat from each other.

"Damn kids," Nanbu muttered and pointed down the way, "Now, give me thirty laps! Whoever finishes last will be the last one to bed tonight if you catch my drift!"

At that the boys shuffled over each other to start across the dirt path that surrounded the barracks.

* * *

><p>Groto ran ahead from everyone else while Itgu, the other boy, and Jac ran relatively behind him.<p>

Sano and Uno ran many paces behind the rest, 'neck in neck' against each other and struggling to pass in front. They glared with sweat beaded faces and huffed as they picked up their pace to best the one that had earned all the irritation they felt bubbling in thier guts.

After the tenth lap, Uno felt his lungs start to hurt already. He never had been good at running and now he was sweating in places he never had before. Today wasn't his day at all. _An' on top of that, that Sano kid has longer legs than mine, I's can barely keep's up with him! _He thought dismally as he sweated some more.

Sano, on the other hand, were feeling that his legs were still sore from when he ran away from the caretakers, and he still lacked even average muscles that boys his age had developed on their own. It slowed him down considerably and on top of that, the fat ass behind him made him even more tired than he already was by huffing like he did.

"Give it up," Sano ran three steps in front of him and he looked over his shoulder, "Y-you aren't going to p-pass over the finish line first. You might as well quit now and start on whatever Captain Nanbu has planned for you!"

"Youse shut up!" Uno picked up his pace and ran beside him, than a little past, his eyes closed shut and arms swinging wildly beside his body, "I's ain't quitting!"

Groto huffed and almost fell to his knees as the thirtieth lap came to an end. He was accustomed to running (being a messenger as a part time job before he joined the army) but this was ridiculous! He held onto his knees and tried to catch his breath. It had taken him most of the whole day to run it all and he could barely feel his chest! He couldn't imagine how the others, who didn't seem to be used to running, must've felt.

Jac, and then Itgu a minute later, came to a trotting stop before breathlessly dragging their feet away towards Captain Nanbu in the distance, who was gesturing with an impatient hand for them to hurry up.

Groto, still bent over his knees, sucked in another harsh gasp and lifted his head, his eyes landing on two forms up ahead of him, lying on the ground while Captain Hoto stood idly beside them puffing on a cigarette.

"Sir?" Groto came closer and noticed the two forms were Uno and Sano, too tired to go on their feet, but still kicking each other in the side occasionally. He looked back up at Captain Hoto and repeated, "Sir?"

"Yeah, what do you want?" Hoto dropped his stick to the ground and snuffed it out with his boot.

"Should they be lying down like that?" Groto pointed with his eyes back to the bodies, "Sir?"

"Hrm? Oh," Hoto seemed to notice them just now and shrugged, "It's not my race."

"Jerk." Uno's foot thumped into Sano's side.

"Moron." Sano's foot thumped into Uno's side.

"Pisses," Hoto thumped both of them, "Get up and run."

Sano turned his head, reddish dirt and hair clinging to the sweat on his face as he looked up at the narrow face that hovered against the orange sky, "Ugk, you just now want to act like a Captain?"

Hoto smirked, his eyes reflecting the harsh, dark yellow light of the setting sun, "I bet you wished you cut your hair, eh, Princess?"

"No," Sano stood up on shaking limbs, and stubbornly growled, "I will never wish that."

Uno quickly fumbled over his appendages to lift himself from the ground and instantly started to run, wheezing terribly as he did so.

"Hey, I don't want you in front of me, you worthless lard!" Sano kicked off, a cloud of dust in the wake of each of his steps, as his long legs carried him after the chubby back that was already ahead of him by ten paces. "Like Hell, I'm going to be the last!"

* * *

><p>"Nnhh?" Uno rubbed at his eyes, dirt smeared along his entire face and bald scalp. He yawned, and turned to look up at the person above him, whose face was surrounded by dark blue sky and white twinkling stars. It actually was a nice effect for the friendly and warm smile that greeted him, as Nanbu showed his teeth in a huge open-mouthed grin.<p>

"Wake up, Uno," Nanbu flicked the end of his round nose with his calloused thumb and unbent his knees to rise into standing position. Uno shot up to sit on his rear, rubbing his nose.

"Ow! What's was thad for?!"

"You didn't make your laps did you?" Nanbu lifted a thick light brown brow and heaved a sigh, his heavily muscled shoulders rising and falling.

"No's, I did," Uno crossed his arms, eyes already drooping tiredly but his brows pressed down into them to give him a very rare annoyed look, "But this jerk says he could run more and so's I's kept going an'-"

Nanbu tilted his head back and laughed heartily, "Jeez! Man, this is great!"

"Hey! Don't laugh! This guy really is gettin' on my nerves, ya know?" He looked around and saw no sign of the skinny boy anywhere, "Hey! Where'd he go?"

Nanbu vaguely upwards. There was a tree that was planted by the path, and it rose upwards a ways before it's only now budding arms outstretched over the track. Uno looked up, following the angle of the Captain's thick finger, and in one of it's limbs, Sano laid on his back with his arm hanging over its barky side. Uno puffed out his cheeks as Sano continued to snooze.

"Damn, ran all that way and still had energy to climb into a tree," Nanbu whistled, impressed, and grinned wide, "What do you have to say to that Uno?"

In reply, he crossed his arms and brought his knees up to him in the dirt, "Ass."

"Well," Nanbu looked back at the body in the tree, as Uno stood up and brushed off the red marks from his pants, "You both did well, and you both are defiantly the last ones to bed anyways, so no punishment. I guess. You should be glad Uno! I mean- Uno?!"

A rock whizzed through the air and landed right in Sano's side, off balancing him enough to fall to the ground with a rustling crack of limbs and leaves coming down with him and a hard thud into the dirt.

"Uno! I never seen you be such a poor sport!-" Nanbu started but was cut off by a slow eruption in the bushes below the tree.

"How-dare-you,-you-moronic-wasted-hunk-of-" Sano slowly rose from the bushes, scrapes and cuts on his arms and leaves in his long out-of-place hair.

"Humph!" Uno rubbed the bottom of his nose with the pad of his thumb with a quick swipe, "Serve's youse right! That was for tripping me earlier!"

"All's fair in war they say," Sano glared hard through his slanted squinted eyes and smirked lightly, his knees bending slightly as he bent his tall lean frame to reach down to the ground so he could wrap his fingers around a stick that came down with him.

"Hey now," Nanbu got in between them, "Don't start assassinating each other now."

Sano dropped the stick and turned, his eyes never leaving Uno except when he glanced at Nanbu to announce, "I'm going to the bunks, is that fine sir?"

"Go ahead, but don't fight!" Nanbu yelled after them as Uno joined Sano in the journey back to the barracks,"If you do you'll...clean the bathrooms with your toothbrushes or something!"

* * *

><p><strong>Boys Named Extra's- "Dramatic Irony" (So, not from Sano's and Uno's perspectives.)<strong>

_"__**So, what do you think, Nanbu?" Hoto leaned against the tree that Sano had fallen out of earlier and asked with a level, conversational tone, though his eyes were oddly in tuned to every twitch on the other Captain's face. The Assassin's Recorder looked up with somewhat wide light brown eyes and tilted his head, "Hmm?"**_

_**"Who do you think should be dropped?" Hoto adverted his gaze from his recorder partner and dug through the deep side pouch on his belt for yet another life-sapping stick.**_

_"__**Ah, yeah, odd numbers," Nanbu rubbed the back of his neck," I know we need to pair them up, but, Hell, I don't know. Usually I can see the kids with the most potential and promise by now, but Sano and Uno didn't even get to the other shit because they were still running."**_

_"__**Damn," Hoto inhaled, a cigarette not in his mouth for once, but poised unlighted between his digits, "That's too bad."**_

_"__**No, they ran extra laps." Nanbu smiled in Hoto's direction, "It's not like your son is a complete failure or anything."**_

_"__**I never said that," Hoto's squinted eyes glared as hard as he could, "I didn't once say that."**_

_**"Oh come on, I know you care! And, if you ask me, he looks more like you than even Yagi did! I think's its the narrower head," Nanbu lifted his palms, held them flat, and neared them together as if to clap but didn't touch. "Yeah, you both have skinny little heads and necks."**_

_**"Yagi looks like his mother," Hoto clenched the stick he had in his hand, and it broke into crumbled halves, "And Sano is no different."**_

_**"I don't know..." Nanbu rolled his eyes, "I think it will only get worse. Wait until he starts looking like a man. He'll be just like you, I can bet five hundred gil on that! He'll probably have your wide shoulders and be real skinny, I mean, he's so scrawny already. And yeah, I guess Kotone was thin and all too, but in a nice filled out way, you know?" With the glare he received, Nanbu slapped the back of his neck and chuckled nervously, "Oh yeah, of course you know, I mean especially since you had all them kids together."**_

_**"Would you stop talking about my wife? Have a little respect!" Hoto sneered, "Or need I remind you that she's dead?"**_

_**"I know, I know!" Nanbu flinched, almost like Uno when he realized he said something wrong. "You know I liked Kotone. I'm sorry, I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm sorry."**_

_**"Instead of saying sorry, why don't you just stop mentioning it!" Hoto threw the broken cigarette aside with disgust written on his face before digging roughly into his pouch for another one.**_

_**"Yeah...and that reminds me...why haven't you mentioned to the kid you're his dad? I think he doesn't know. I mean, I haven't said anything because it's not my business-" The heavy-set Captain started by was cut short by a swipe of a thin hand.**_

_**"You're right, it isn't any of your business." Hoto bit down into a stick and fished out a lighter, a rectangular one that flipped to light, and brought it to his lips as he spoke around the paper wrapped tobacco, "Letalis and Yagi hated me. They wouldn't even talk to me when I approached them. They detested me and wanted me to have nothing to do with them. Especially Yagi! Ever since Kotone died the kids shifted all the blame on-" **_

_**Hoto paused and took the cigarette from his mouth with a little erratic twitch in his hands, before jamming it back in his mouth, muttering, "I find it a blessing from Lady Luck herself that Sano never discovered who I am. At least he'll look me in the face."**_

_**Nanbu smiled lightly, "You know you don't have to be ashamed about that. It wasn't your fault and Yagi wasn't that mature. He overreacted. I mean, what could you have done? Kotone didn't get word fast enough to you that she was sick or I'm sure you would've-!" **_

_BANG ! BANG!_

_**Nanbu had flinched mid-sentence and lifted quickly the small circular shaped shield attached to his forearm up to his face as Hoto took two quick shots at him. Nanbu frowned deeply, yelling, "Hey! Man, what if I didn't block that!?"**_

_"__**What would I have cared? I dare say, you would've been made into much better company without your ever flapping mouth." Hoto blew at the smoking ends of his peculiar twin revolvers. They had dark-reddish polished wood handles and steely gray barrels that had odd round triangles jutting from it's top and bottom. Each triangle had a hole in the top and the gun itself was longer than the average revolver. **_

_"__**Not nice," Nanbu frowned, "Sano really **_**is**_** like you. He can't be nice to Uno at all, keeps trying to bite his head off at every turn."**_

_**"Well," Hoto sighed and took a deep breath of the sickening relaxing fumes that's source still hung limply from his lips, "Despite that, I think those two would be good for each other. As much as you like Mydo, you know he isn't all that bright and will need some smartening up, which Sano seems to have if he's willing to share his knowledge."**_

_**"Yeah, and Uno can kick the gloom out of your snotty little brat," Nanbu smiled a bit at Hoto's annoyed face, "But, yeah, personally I think they'd make a good team, those two. They sure 'motivate' each other. I never saw Uno run like that even when he ran errands for Pino, and he 'liked' her real nice if you know what I'm saying."**_

_"__**I suppose you suspect me to say, 'And I've never seen Sano run like that either.'?" Hoto put the revolvers back in their holsters at his back, "Well, I can tell you I, honestly, don't know a thing about that."**_

_**Nanbu rubbed at the light beard on his chin, amused, "You really aren't a good daddy are you? Poor Kotone..." **_

_"__**Shut up."**_


End file.
